A 10-year-old boy has been stuck in the Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., for more than a month following a dispute among the child’s birth mother and the county, The Washington Post reported.

The boy’s mother and stepfather, who were both absent at a recent hearing for the child, have refused to take him home. His father is unable to intervene in the current situation, due to his lack of custody rights, the newspaper reported.

“The District of Columbia and Prince George’s County are obviously trying to push this kid off onto the other,” D.C. Superior Court Judge Eugene N. Hamilton said during the hearing. “In the meantime, the child is here in D.C. and has been abandoned and neglected.”

In an interview that was held recently, the boy’s father said he hopes to retain custody of the child and take the boy home to live with his one-year-old daughter and her mother, according to the Post.

WUSA 9 News reported that the boy’s mother doesn’t believe he is ready to return home because of several behavioral incidents.

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