Where is Natalia Barnett Now? What is She Doing?
by A Maria
Updated May 11, 2023
Who is Natalia Barnett?
In 2012, a court order re-aged Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan, from an 8-year-old girl to a 22-year-old woman, which protected her adoptive parents from legal action. Natalia, who has severe dwarfism, was not subject to investigation by the Department of Children Services due to this court order. As a result, prosecutors were unable to charge her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, with neglect for abandoning a child in Lafayette in 2013, since legally, she was no longer considered a child.
Despite the court's decision to change Natalia's age to an adult, the Barnetts are not off the hook yet. Prosecutors are still able to charge them with neglect of a dependent based on Natalia's severe dwarfism, which requires specialized care and attention. In fact, a doctor who examined Natalia in 2012 concluded that she was definitely a minor and needed significant medical attention.
The Barnetts have been accused of abandoning Natalia in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and leaving the country to live in Canada in 2013. Prosecutors claim that the couple stopped paying rent and moved out of the state, leaving Natalia alone and without any resources. Although the Barnetts have denied these allegations, prosecutors may be able to make a case against them based on the fact that they were responsible for the care of a dependent child with a serious medical condition.
Where is Natalia Barnett Now?
In 2013, Michael and Kristine Barnett rented an apartment for their adopted daughter, Natalia, believing that she was an adult woman. They then left to move to Canada. However, the couple has been charged with felony neglect for abandoning Natalia. Despite the charges, Kristine Barnett maintains that Natalia is not a child but a fully-grown adult with a serious mental illness and that the family had no choice but to leave her behind due to safety concerns.
Barnett claims that Natalia was a danger to the family, including their other children, and that she exhibited violent behavior and made threats toward them. However, Natalia and her new adoptive parents deny these allegations and claim that she is a teenager who was left behind by the Barnetts when she was still a child.
Why Natalia Barnett's Adoption Disturbed Many Almost Immediately?
Kristine Barnett and her husband Michael always dreamed of having a big family and wanted to expand their family through adoption. In May 2010, they flew from Indiana to Florida within 24 hours after hearing that an adoption agency in Florida had a little girl, Natalia Grace, in need of a home. Despite Natalia having spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, a rare form of dwarfism, the couple felt up to the challenge, having worked with Jake, their autistic child prodigy, and running a children’s daycare.
However, it soon became clear that Natalia had tendencies and behaviors not befitting a child. Kristine claimed that she noticed a few odd things about Natalia, such as pubic hair, adult teeth, and hiding bloody clothing in the garbage. Natalia Grace also exhibited violent tendencies, threatened to stab the family in their sleep, and poured bleach into Kristine's coffee.
According to Kristine, Natalia Grace attacked a baby, scoffed at family therapy, started hearing voices, and exhibited other alarming behavior. Despite seeking professional help for Natalia, she reportedly confessed to doctors that she was actually 18 years old and enjoyed terrorizing her family.
Kristine even claimed that bone density tests suggested that Natalia was an adult, and she never grew, which should happen, even in children with dwarfism. The Barnetts became convinced that they had unwittingly welcomed a psychotic adult dwarf into their home. Despite renting an apartment for Natalia to live on her own, they were later charged with felony neglect for abandoning their adopted daughter.
What Set this Neglect Case Apart from Others?
Natalia Grace, the focus of a controversial adoption case, suffers from severe dwarfism and was originally adopted by a family in New Hampshire in 2008. The adoption was unsuccessful, and she was adopted by the Barnetts in 2010, completing the process in November of that year. The Barnetts faced charges of neglect of a dependent in 2011, which brought media attention due to Natalia's dwarfism, her status as a European orphan, and her difficulty finding a permanent family in the United States.
The apparent discrepancy between Kristine Barnett's public persona and the allegations of child neglect in the Natalia Grace case has captured significant media attention. Kristine has been hailed as a model mother, an advocate for the disabled, and a champion of nurturing children. She has written a memoir titled "The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius," which chronicles her experience raising her son Jake, a child prodigy with autism.
In interviews and media appearances, Kristine has spoken about her parenting philosophy and how it has helped her son thrive despite his disability. She has also advocated for better support and understanding for families with disabled children. However, the allegations of child neglect in the Natalia Grace case seem to contradict Kristine's public image as a loving and attentive mother.
The prosecution has accused Kristine and Michael Barnett of abandoning Natalia in an unfamiliar city and leaving the country without making proper arrangements for her care. They have also alleged that the couple falsified Natalia's age and left her to fend for herself as an adult, despite her severe physical and mental disabilities. These allegations have raised questions about Kristine's true motivations and whether her public image is a façade.
Where is Natalia Barnett Now - FAQs
Natalia Grace is a Ukrainian orphan with severe dwarfism who was adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in 2010 when she was 7 years old.
In 2012, a court order changed Natalia's age from 8 to 22 years old, which protected her adoptive parents from legal action. As a result, prosecutors were unable to charge her adoptive parents with neglect for abandoning a child in Lafayette in 2013, since legally, she was no longer considered a child.
Due to the court order that re-aged Natalia to an adult, she was not subject to investigation by the Department of Children Services, which made it difficult for prosecutors to charge her adoptive parents with neglect.
Prosecutors can still charge Michael and Kristine Barnett with neglect of a dependent based on Natalia's severe dwarfism, which requires specialized care and attention. A doctor who examined Natalia in 2012 concluded that she was definitely a minor and needed significant medical attention.
It is not clear what happened to Natalia after she was abandoned by her adoptive parents in Lafayette in 2013.