Police called after YouTubers ‘rehome’ adopted son
Myka and James Stauffer sparked outrage this week when they announced they had decided to give up their adopted son Huxley to another family three years after adopting him from China, and now it seems concern has escalated the matter to police.
The pair hit headline last week after uploading a video described by several fans as ‘deeply upsetting’ in which they tearfully shared the news that four-year-old Huxley, who was diagnosed with autism after being adopted from China, had been ‘rehomed’ after the pair struggled to cope with his special needs.
Myka has since deleted all images of Huxley from her public social media, and now local police confirmed in a statement that they are looking into the matter.
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office released the information in a statement to NBC News where they confirmed they had received a number of enquires after the kids’ welfare.
“Our primary concern is for the well-being of this child, as well as the other children in the household,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Our investigation is ongoing, and will include contact with all children to ensure their safety.”
They confirmed the adoption process was being done by the book and waved off any concerns regarding the legality of the Huxley’s transfer to a new home.
“In this case, we are confident that the appropriate process is occurring,” the spokesperson wrote. “In addition, both parties are being represented by attorneys to ensure full compliance with the court process.”
An attorney for the pair also confirmed the decision was made in compliance with medical advice.
Myka’s announcement of Huxley’s ‘rehoming’ sparks outrage
The controversy started after fans noticed Huxlet’s absence from the family Instagram page from March, and it was confirmed by the parents in a YouTube video last week.
"Do I feel like a failure as a mom? Like, 500 per cent," Myka said in the video, sayingHuxley had found a new ‘forever home’.
Husband James revealed the pair were unaware of the extent of Huxley’s special needs when they adopted him as a baby, and that the past 12 months had seen issues escalate to the point where the pair say they could no longer meet his needs.
"There's not an ounce of our body that doesn't love Huxley with all of our being," Myka added, in tears.
"There wasn't a minute that I didn't try our hardest and I think what Jim is trying to say is that after multiple assessments, after multiple evaluations, numerous medical professionals have felt that he needed a different fit and that his medical needs, he needed more."
The pair have four biological children and have been sharing their family’s progress with their 715,000 YouTube subscribers for years.
Following the video, Myka updated her social media bio’s from ‘mum of five’, to ‘mum of four’.
The wording of the announcement has since been slammed by fans and professionals alike, who point out ‘rehoming’ is traditionally used for shelter animals.
The couple has since lost sponsorship and partnerships with major companies.
In response, companies including Mattell, Fabletics, TJ Maxx and Playtex Baby all confirmed on social media that they would not be working with the family going forward.
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