A one-year-old girl born in Kentucky is caught in the middle of a case that should worry anyone who cares about child safety. As a newborn, she suffered injuries serious enough that her mother was originally charged with attempted murder. That charge was later reduced, and the mother pleaded guilty to wanton endangerment. Now, with the mother in ICE custody and facing deportation, a family court judge has ordered the girl reunited with her, over the objections of the state's own child welfare cabinet and the foster parents who have raised her since birth.

A Kentucky Court of Appeals judge has stepped in with a temporary hold, giving the case a chance for real review. But once this child leaves the country, Kentucky's child protection system has no way to check on her again.

"A child shouldn't ever be forced to bear the harmful consequences of adult decisions," said child advocate Jennifer Mortenson, who is working with the foster parents.

This isn't about immigration status. It's about whether a state agency that already found evidence of serious harm to this child gets the chance to finish its job before she's gone for good. Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the courts overseeing this case should ensure an independent safety review happens, and that the foster parents who raised this child are heard, before any custody transfer moves forward.

Sign the petition to demand a full safety review before this Kentucky toddler is sent beyond anyone's reach.