Mother to take custody of kidnapped daughter
(CNN) -- A long-lost daughter will be returned to her Philadelphia mother by the end of the day Monday, the mother's attorney said.
The mother, Luz Cuevas, had been told the child died in a fire six years ago in Pennsylvania, but she discovered the girl allegedly had been kidnapped by a family acquaintance and was living not far away.
The child, named Delimar, was 10 days old when her mother last saw her in December 1997. Cuevas saw the girl, now 6, at a birthday party in January and was struck by the child's resemblance to her and her other children. A DNA test proved Cuevas was the child's mother.
Carolyn Correa has been arrested. She faces charges of kidnapping the child and setting a fire to cover her tracks. Officials at the time ruled the newborn had died in the fire.
Cuevas' attorney, Anthony Cianfrani, said a court order would reunite the child with her biological mother by the end of Monday after three short-term visits between the two last week were declared successful.
The girl is already calling Cuevas "Mommy," Cianfrani said, and social workers are pleased with how quickly she has adjusted to the news. Cuevas voluntarily will submit to ongoing visits with counselors and social workers, Cianfrani said.
A New Jersey judge granted custody to Cuevas, but the final transfer was not expected until the judge had set up safeguards for the child's welfare, said state Rep. Angel Cruz of Philadelphia, a lawmaker who helped bring about a reunion. Cianfrani said that was expected Monday. Meanwhile, the child has been in foster care.
Cuevas said Delimar became hysterical when told that Correa was not her mother but has since calmed down and is beginning to adjust to the news.
 Luz Cuevas smiles after a judge awards her custody of daughter Delimar. |  |
Cruz and Cianfrani said a communication barrier between the mother and child -- Cuevas speaks little English and her daughter speaks no Spanish -- will be an easy one to overcome.
"The mother speaks enough English to communicate to the child," Cianfrani said. "The mother can talk about foods and colors, and how do you feel, and that sort of thing, so the mother can communicate, but she understands that she needs to learn English so she could communicate better with her child."
Cruz said Delimar also will learn Spanish.
Delimar's biological father also has come forward, hired an attorney and asked to be included in the process, but Cianfrani said his role would be "fairly limited for the near future."
The mother has hired a media attorney to deal with the multiple TV movie offers she has received.
