Adoption Quote by Barbara Madsen
“Short of preventing harm to the child, the standard of 'best interest of the child' is insufficient to serve as a compelling state interest overruling a parent's fundamental rights… To suggest otherwise would be the logical equivalent to asserting that the state has the authority to break up stable families and redistribute its infant population to provide each child with the 'best family.' It is not within the province of the state to make significant decisions concerning the custody of children merely because it could make a 'better' decision.”
About This Quote
Source Court Opinion, Washington State Supreme Court, 2018
The best‑interest standard for children is insufficient alone; state authority must respect parental rights and family stability.
In simple terms: Best‑interest alone isn’t enough; state must respect families.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize child welfare while protecting family integrity.
Themes
law
family
children
rights
state authority
custody
best interest
Mood
serious
analytical
concerned
Type
Adoption:0
Authority:0
Best family:0
Break:0
Children:0
Compelling:0
Custody:0
Decision:0
Fundamental rights:0
Fundamentals:0
Harm:0
Infant:0
Insufficient:0
Interest:0
Logical:0
Parent:0
Parenting:0
Population:0
Preventing:0
Provinces:0
Rights:0
Significant:0
Stable:0
Standards:0
States:0
Would be:0
Concerning Custody:0
Custody Children:0
Redistribute Infant:0
Rights Suggest:0
When to use this quote
- family court decisions
- policy debates
- legislative hearings
- child welfare planning
Key Concepts
legal standards
parental rights
state intervention
child protection
Questions to Reflect On
- When should the state intervene in family matters?
- How can best‑interest be better defined?
A Different Perspective
Balancing state and parental interests is complex.
![“I know what "custody" [of the children] means. "Get even." That's all custody means. Get even with your old lady.” quote by Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/199/lenny-bruce-4320_children_i-know-what-custody-of-the-children-mean_2889146.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
