Last of kids separated: All FLDS children in Texas now off to foster care

Deseret News ^ | April 26, 2008 | Ben Winslow

[ricks_place]

Court refuses to hear FLDS mothers' request All FLDS children in Texas now off to foster care

SAN ANGELO, Texas — The last of the children taken in the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's Yearning for Zion Ranch are now adjusting to life in the foster care system. Escorted by police cars and ambulances, more than a dozen charter buses rolled out of the San Angelo Coliseum grounds Friday, carrying the remaining 260 children toward foster homes.

Small children waved as they went by. Some appeared to be very young; one child was seen holding a bottle.

"It's a good day for them because they're out of this shelter environment and getting to more stable places," said Chris Van Deusen with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. "They're still temporary homes, but it's more conducive to child care."

The departure from the coliseum, which has served as a massive shelter for 462 children and dozens of their mothers in recent weeks, was still emotional. On Thursday, many FLDS mothers were separated from their children.

The children will be heading to foster care facilities and homes scattered across Texas. Mothers are being allowed to stay with tbabies under 12 months of age; the others have been separated.

Meanwhile, attorneys for the FLDS Church threatened lawsuits against the numerous government agencies involved.

...

Meanwhile, parents who have been cast out of the FLDS Church have been coming forward to help establish paternity. Some had no idea their children were in Texas.

"We are hearing from parents who tell us they were forced out of the FLDS, and they believe that their children may now be in DFPS custody," said Rolfe. "We are making arrangements for those parents to submit samples to labs that are close to where they live."

[Gondring]

can you imagine how scared those kids are?

Heck, yeah! It's working well...guaranteeing lots of future clients for the social workers, as these kids face this traumatic separation and develop all kinds of personality disorders.

I would have been horrified to have been take from my home as a child. My parents were not the best, nor were they perfect. To be removed from their home, I’d blame myself forever.

Oh, but these kids don't have any opportunity to play with a Wii. They have to do things like play outdoors, learn values, etc.

Obviously, if there's abuse going on, then that's not acceptable--and same with welfare abuse--but to yank these kids away doesn't seem like the best alternative--unless you want to generate more government dependency.

[SoCalPol]

I am a ret. legal support asst. with the county attys. and I have worked on many cases of child abuse.

Some families that seemed like the perfect ones were the worst and I can’t begin to write what I delt with.

[Gondring]

See Forgotten Children: Crisis in Texas Child Care and this statement...

"I am here today to release disturbing information found during my investigation about the deaths, poisonings, rapes and pregnancies of children in our state's foster care system.

"I found, from information provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, in Fiscal 2003, 30 foster children died in our state's care; in Fiscal 2004, 38 foster children died; and in Fiscal 2005, 48 foster children died.

"Data shows that while the number of foster children in our state's care increased 24 percent from 26,133 in Fiscal 2003 to 32,474 in Fiscal 2005, the number of deaths increased 60 percent.

"If you compare the number of deaths of children in our state's population to the number of deaths in our state's foster care system, a child is four times more likely to die in our state's foster care system.

Based on Fiscal 2004 data provided by the Health and Human Services Commission, about 100 children received treatment for poisoning from medications; 63 foster children received medical treatment for rape that occurred while in the foster care system; and 142 children gave birth while in the state foster care system.
[...]
"The state is supposed to be protecting our forgotten children, but in all too many cases these children are taken from one abusive situation and placed in another abusive situation. Many children are in more abusive situations now than they were before the state intervened. Children are being neglected and abused and are dying."

--Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn

Doesn't mean there aren't great foster homes, and it doesn't mean that things are better where they are now...but I think the burden of proof is on the authorities.

Besides, something's wrong when you have kids in the system that have been in 40 different temporary "homes."

[UCANSEE2]

Good work!

Excellent Satire.

I can see some similarities.

But, very few.

Putting Swinton on the APC was hilarious.

[Gondring]

I volunteered with abused/neglected children. I understand the nature of what you dealt with...believe me! :-(

[truth_seeker]

“The outcomes of the hearings will be interesting. Hopefully, the courts can untangle the mess they have made out of the situation and get back to protecting the innocent and punishing the perps.”

An example of an innocent would be an eleven year old girl, removed from her biological parents.

An example of the perps would be her biological parents, who have practiced plural marriage and statutory rape, and planned to subject the eleven year old to the same.

To me that is the situation in a nutshell. The state would be remiss to not go forward to sort out the facts, provide safety to the innocents, and charge the perps.

[SoCalPol]

The same facts and worse going on in that cult.

[UCANSEE2]

I think one phrase, KEEP SWEET, sums it up.

[Gondring]

:-) Thanks.

It’s a VERY serious and sad situation, all ‘round, and I hope you realize that don’t mean to make light of it. I’m trying to remind people what it was that sparked this all—because if we forget that and allow ourselves to be pacified by “The Ends Justify The Means,” then we are right back to Clintonian thinking.

If the authorities have a good case, then they should be able to make it by following the rules. If they can’t, then we have to question their methods...else we open the door to future abuse.

[ansel12]

That is a passive vehicle, it has amour to protect the passengers whether they are cops or evacuees, either way see all that open country? Having something bullet proof to hide behind or to move people when you are in open country is a good thing.

There are some things that are so basic that anybody in charge would order, among those things are open country? have something to hide behind. Great distances? make sure that you take rifles and have snipers, also instruct everyone to wear their vests.

[SoCalPol]

I not ony delt with it for yrs. in my work but I also lived it daily as a kid.

[UCANSEE2]

Dear God.

Protect these children, and women as they go through the justice process.
Help us find the truth, identify the evil, and stop it.

May what our authorities are doing, be God’s will, and not a trick from the devil.

Amen.

[Gondring]

That is a passive vehicle, it has amour to protect the passengers whether they are cops or evacuees, either way see all that open country? Having something bullet proof to hide behind or to move people when you are in open country is a good thing.

Yes. And those were passive automatic weapons. I get it.

[Prole]

Depending on the age of your coworker, I would have to say that this person is not worthy of this Nation. This person is clearly inexperienced and ignorant of the feral attitudes that exist outside of our borders.

It was the "right-wing gun nuts" who risked it all against the British for our National identity on more than one occasion.

Swift deportation to the worst third world nation would be justified for your Communist colleague.

Whether it is temporary or permanent is the tough call to make.

[Gondring]

A very good prayer.

I would point out, in addition, that even if the end is good, the means of getting there might open the door to greater evil.

[Gondring]

The same facts and worse going on in that cult.

I hadn't heard that the kids were being drugged, poisoned, and dying. Wow. Where did you hear that?

[UCANSEE2]

“If the authorities have a good case, then they should be able to make it by following the rules. If they can’t, then we have to question their methods...else we open the door to future abuse.”

I don’t think anyone could argue with that.

(I do think they have a good case. Don’t tell anyone, though.)

[Gondring]

(I do think they have a good case. Don’t tell anyone, though.)

Too bad they had to use a warrant based on hoax hearsay then. :-(

It seems at times that the hoax-raid apologists are almost gleeful in hearing evidence of potential abuse. :-( They remind me a lot of the sick anti-war types who celebrate America's setbacks just because it makes their political position look good.

[UCANSEE2]

“the means of getting there might open the door to greater evil.”

Depends on whether you think they are stopping child abuse, or trying to stop a religion, doesn’t it?

Nothing illegal has been done so far in pursuing the child abuse/ sex with a minor aspect of the case.

[Gondring]

Depending on the age of your coworker, I would have to say that this person is not worthy of this Nation. This person is clearly inexperienced and ignorant of the feral attitudes that exist outside of our borders.

She's more than a half a century old...but was joined by younger staff in their approval of shutting down those folks who are "not in step with modern thinking." (Not her words...just what she implied.