Posted on 05/08/2008 5:54:21 AM PDT by MizSterious
"It's the plan that has to address the permanency," said Mary Walker, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. "Whether or not children will be unified with their parents or whether or not they will remain in foster care."
Children and parents are being interviewed this week, and Texas Child Protective Services will make recommendations. A judge would ultimately sign off on the plans. Court hearings addressing the children's status in foster care are scheduled to begin May 19 in San Angelo, Texas.
"Some of our moms are working on plans of their own that they can propose to CPS," said Cynthia Martinez with the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid Society, which represents some of the FLDS mothers.
The April raid was prompted by a phone call from someone claiming to be a 16-year-old "Sarah," who was pregnant and in an abusive relationship. When Texas CPS and law enforcement responded to the YFZ Ranch, they claim they found evidence of other abuse, including teenage mothers. That prompted a judge to order the removal of all the children at the FLDS compound.
The children have since been placed in foster care facilities across Texas. In contrast to the massive hearing Judge Barbara Walther held that placed the children in state custody, individual hearings will determine what happens to the children now.
In a typical service plan, there are recommendations and requirements that may need to be completed before a parent is reunited with their child.
"If, for example, we have a parent who has some substance abuse issues, the plan may be that the parent go into rehab," Walker said. "If you've got issues with neglect, making sure the child is properly cared for, we'd look at parenting classes, homemaking classes. The plan has to address whatever changes are necessary to reduce the level of risk."
Walker said she did not know what the service plans would address or recommend with the FLDS children and their parents. Texas CPS workers have claimed that the polygamist sect has a culture that lends itself to abuse, with girls being raised to become child brides.
The Texas child welfare system gives authorities up to a year to work with a family. If necessary, a judge can grant an extension. With 464 children in state protective custody, authorities concede that this case is not typical.
CPS said it is working with the Texas Education Agency to deal with the educational needs of the FLDS children.
Educational assessments will be conducted on each child and sent to the school district where the children have been placed. Texas' educational authority will recommend the assessment be used on all FLDS children.
"It is anticipated that the children will continue their education on the campus of their foster placement," CPS said in a statement. "There are no plans at this time for the children to attend classes on any public school campus."
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has released new numbers on the children.
According to the May 2 census, there are 102 infants up to 2 years old. An estimated 99 children are ages 3 to 5; 131 children are 6 to 9 years old; 62 children are 10 to 13; and 42 are 14 to 17.
Texas authorities said there are 26 young women who the FLDS claim are adults, but the state believes are children. Two young men turned 18 while in foster care but have elected to stay with family members at a shelter, CPS said.
Some of the foster care facilities the FLDS children are staying in have racked up violations.
The Deseret News conducted an online check of the inspection records and reports for the facilities the judge ordered the children to stay in. They are publicly accessible on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services' Web site.
"Foster children are being spanked with a belt as a form of discipline," said one 2007 report for the Presbyterian Children's Homes & Services in Waxahachie, Texas.
"Foster child was made to stand on one foot in a closed closet as a form of discipline," said another report on the facility.
For most of the facilities, most of the 2007 violations were for mundane issues such as record keeping. The Kidz Harbor Home in Liverpool, Texas, was written up in February for two residents having sex at the facility. The Cal Farley's Boys Ranch in Amarillo was written up in February for not reporting a child's critical injury in a timely enough manner. It was also written up that same month for having a staff member becoming aware of a child's bruises, but failing to report it.
"You must report and document suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation to child abuse hotline and the designated employee/administrator as soon as you become aware of it," the report said.
Online records show several facilities underwent a new round of assessments and inspections just before the FLDS children were placed in foster care.
TX AG handling the case, laws that come into play, former fLDS member speaks out, legal experts talk about case, 80 year old has 21 wives, incest next issue with Jeffs case, seized records show polygamous unions, the Lost Boys, DA preparing criminal cases against fLDS, AGs meet to discuss how to help polygamists (link only), UT AG's political contributers, ACLU weighs in (of course), state increases security at kids housing.
5/6 thread, with articles on:
TX AG to prosecute any fLDS cases, Canadians urge crackdown on border (to prevent celestial bride traffic to US), more on DOD probe of fLDS, Lost Boys interview
5/5 thread, with articles on:
Canadian parents want Ottawa's help in getting daughter back from TX, attorneys complain about confusion with hearings, polygamous dad speaks out, mothers leave children while courts sort out case, Carolyn Jessop's "Escape" no. 5 on NYT bestseller list, deport's excellent list of links, Warren Jeffs under suicide watch, man has 21 wives, 35 children, town hall set for media, law discussions on polygamy .
5/4 thread, with articles on:
Recollections of life in the cult, polygamy summit in St. George, Utah AG reluctant to judge Tx action, UT, AZ polygamists retreated to TX, children adapt to new homes, states divided on approach to polygamy
5/3 thread, with articles on:
Colorado woman's (Laura Chapman) story of abuse in fLDS, letter from fLDS mothers to Utah governor, more on fashion, according to UT, "few answers in Texas", how families are torn apart by fLDS, Utah gives TX hints on handling of fLDS kids, reprint of TX law professor's assertion that raid was correct and legal, discussion on blood atonement with links, Polygamy's undergrond railroad, "Mormon Manson," comparisons between YFZ and Cold Creek, fairly complete listing of child child custody legal procedure, common pediatric fractures, look at how fLDS acquired land for compount using fraud in 2004
5/2 thread, with articles on:
Utah officials don't want federal help, feds claim they're stymied in probes of fLDS, residents of UT and AZ want crackdowns, home schooling for sect children, burden of proof high in such cases, kids' religious needs, older boys, not adults may be source of abuse of boys, Bishop's Record (pdf) list of YFZ families, Dr. Phil opines, warrant canceled for AZ man originally charged with molesting "Sarah," protesters supporting fLDS mothers show up at NBA game, letter from fLDS mothers claims rights violated, law professor says state correct to remove children from ranch, excerpt from "On the Lam with Warren Jeffs."
5/1 thread, with articles on:
FLDS doctor denies abuse, fLDS petitions court for return of children, denial of abuse of boys, commentary by Marci Hamilton (constitutional law expert), TX senator wants more info on YFZ, LDS response to situation, new evidence on abuse, NY Voodoo sex abuse case
4/30 thread, with articles on:
Investigations into fLDS government contracts, new compound built at 4 Corners area, strains on CPS capacity, Shurtleff & Reid agree to work together, interview with mothers in Amarillo, Colorado City fLDS watching events in Texas, NM removes 4 children from non-fLDS cult compound, sexual and physical injuries listed, proposed AZ bill would shield children of polygamists, Canadians want action on polygamists, fLDS denies child abuse, fLDS claims children have brittle bone disease, articles on brittle bone disease
4/29 thread with articles on:
"Lost" boys found, cult children statistics, more on WE documentary, sect doctors silent on abuse question, legal news and details, woman recalls life in sect, children's diet, Texans chip in to help, children at one shleter think they're all siblings, sect placement marriages "diabolical," sect threatens lawsuit, questions DNA tests might answer, teen mother gives birth (it's a boy)
4/28 thread with articles on:
Criminal charges urged for YFZ, new "prophet" film, debate over legalities of raid, Bountiful, BC fLDS group, reason in religious beliefs, former fLDS member shares insights, more on the Short Creek raid, documentary about group on WE TV.
4/27 thread with articles on:
Gene disorders in group, child custody processes, appeal to Gov. Perry, unusual way of life in YFZ, possibility of children held at YFZ whose parents were forced out, sheriff says authorities had spy inside sect.
4/26 thread with articles on:
Cost of care for the children of the sect, charges that two kids might be missing, how members of the sect dress, court rejects requests of mothers to stay with children, appeals court cancels hearing, Canadian involved in sect, culture shock for kids, oil drillers last laugh, possible involvement in human trafficking and drugs at Colorado City, Rep. Kay Granger's request to investigate financial ties to USG
4/25 thread with aritcles on:
Courts allowing state to place children in foster homes, legal challenges to the raid, beliefs on polygamy, protests against the raid and removal of children, Warren Jeff's appeal, portions of the Texas Family Code4/24 thread with articles on:
Seized polygamous sect kids face tough adjustment, articles on how and where the children were placed, Carolyn Jessup on Canadian children possibly at the ranch, legal aid group challenges judge, interview with Benjamin Bistline, 40 women choose to go to safe house instead of back to cult, 25 girls claimed to be adults, now found to be minors.
As always, for the sake of orderliness (and to prevent the pulling of threads and/or messages), let's do try to stay on topic and polite. You can't have a flame war if you don't take the bait.
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Daily thread ping!
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Terry Secrest lies awake at night, thinking about the women and children of Texas' now-famed polygamist sect.
The Austin social worker is working with mothers from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who have relocated to Central Texas. She says she listens to their worries and answers their questions, laughs at their jokes and respects their faith.
After 10 years in social work, Secrest usually leaves her work at the office. But this case "has touched me a lot more than I ever expected," said Secrest, 54.
Early last month, Texas Child Protective Services removed 464 children from a Schleicher County ranch owned by the FLDS. Officials say the group practices polygamy, encourages underaged teen girls to marry much older men and puts children at risk of sexual abuse. State officials say they separated the mothers and children to ensure the youths could be open about their experiences at the ranch. They also wanted to protect them from potential harm, said Chris Van Deusen, spokesman for the Department of Family and Protective Services.
"They were in an abusive or neglectful situation, and we want to make sure they were going to be safe while we continue with the investigation," he said.
The operation, which was the largest removal of children in Texas history, has touched people across the state. At one point, more than 700 state child welfare workers were assigned to the case. That doesn't include the scores of lawyers, therapists and social workers from other state agencies and nonprofits.
Experts say many of those professionals may be suffering from secondary traumatic stress, a condition that affects people working with victims of trauma. Symptoms include anxiety, sleeplessness, nightmares and intrusive thoughts.
Excerpt. Read the rest at source: Statesman.Com.
The Safety Net Committee, a coalition of government agencies, social service groups and representatives of polygamous communities, is sponsoring the forum to address ways to break down barriers and give people associated with polygamy access to justice, safety and services.
Participants will include Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, Arizona state lawmaker David Lujan and others.
Those poor boys and girls and parents.
The numbers change constantly in this story. How many of these are boys? Why seperate all of the others from their mothers? Since when does the Constitution allow for group punishment?
Correction here. It wasn't the call that prompted things, according to the warrant. It was the report of the call.
Minor detail, perhaps, but it highlights the false nature of the incident and the side-stepping of proper warrant channels.
It’s part of the system. The kids are taught to hide their identities and the identities of their parents. The mothers are the same way. So the state can’t piece together the families. They will have to use DNA and hope inbreeding was kept to a minimum.
This system has been going on for centuries. It is ingrained into their society.
The mothers refused to account for their children.
No one has been punished.
Poor boys and girls—parents, not so much. They were going to kick out the boys once they reached puberty, and give the girls to drooling old men to use as “celestial brides.” Babies were tortured in a similar manner as waterboarding to make them stop crying—a quaint little technique called “breaking the baby.” And the mothers, brainwashed or not, assisted, took part, or just stood by and allowed it to happen.
The numbers keep going up as they find more girls who lied about their ages. Are you a member of fLDS? NOT an accusation, just wondering if that is why you are so adamant in your support for them and their lifestyle.
She says that she has yet to find young FLDS members with an education higher than the eighth grade level. Some of the gaps in knowledge could be attributed to that fact that most kids do not get an education like other children in America. The FLDS Children according to former member Flora Jessop is based on their church.
About eight years ago FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs asked members to take their children out of the Colorado City Arizona Public Schools. Many of the kids then were home schooled or began attending the Alta Academy where Warren Jeffs was Principal. They listened to tapes voiced by Warren Jeffs as teaching aides.
Warren Jeffs: "You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth or rude and filthy, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind."
Flora Jessop says students would listen to those tapes and then be required to write reports on the what they learned. Their man focus according to former FLDS members is that their community is superior.
This narrow education makes adjusting to the outside world difficult for former FLDS members. .
Cody Rodriguez KLST News.
Source: Concho Valley. Video at source.
The number went down
Taking infants from their mothers punish both the infants and the mothers.
There is also no recording of the call, just notes. Also no caller ID. They didn't know who they were talking to, where they called from, or what was specifically stated.
A woman who spent nearly three decades in a polygamous marriage is speaking out about the practice of "plural wives" and the mindset that encourages families to keep their children in potentially abusive situations. (This article contains sensitive material that may not be suitable for younger readers)
When she was 16, Irene Spencer became the second wife of her brother-in-law, Verlan LeBaron. One of 31 children, Spencer and her family were members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church -- the same group which made headlines recently when authorities raided their compound in El Dorado, Texas. The FLDS formed in 1890, when the mainline Mormon Church outlawed the practice of polygamy.
Spencer details her life in the FLDS in her book Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife. She says FLDS members are taught that man can attain God-like status based on the number of wives and children he possesses. The church, she says, is a cult that brainwashes its members.
"I myself grew up seeing girls 13, 14, 15, getting married -- and [FLDS leaders] justified it by saying that the Mother of Christ, Mary, was a 14-year-old when she gave birth to Christ. So that's what they say," she explains. "They also taught that Jesus Christ was a polygamist -- [that] he was married to Martha and Mary; and they say, 'Who do you think all those crying women were at the cross? They were His wives.'"
According to Spencer, women in the FLDS are taught that plural marriages are necessary for salvation. "Their husband is actually their 'savior,'" she states, "and he takes your hand and pulls you into the next life and exalts you and saves you in his kingdom where he is going to be a god -- and if you don't have strict obedience, you don't even get saved."
Spencer says her obedience brought nothing but misery and uncertainty, as her husband kept his family on the move, often living in substandard conditions in California, the deserts of Mexico, and Nicaragua. In addition, she shares that during her years in the FLDS, she witnessed numerous instances of physical abuse involving children.
"I've actually seen many cases where the prophet there in that group ... married a divorcee or a widow, and two weeks later the same guy would marry the 13- and 14-year-old daughters," she recalls. "So you're sleeping with the mother and the daughters, and they would say 'Oh, isn't this beautiful? We're all going to heaven together.' But you learn to just keep your mouth shut."
And living conditions in the FLDS, she says, can be primitive and chaotic. "I have lived in a house where we've had 23 [or] 24 kids with three other wives," she shares, "and believe me, you have no peace of mind. It's chaotic -- you just long to have a little silence and time of your own."
In the early 1980s, Spencer's husband was killed in a car wreck, opening the door for a radical transformation in her life. She left the FLDS shortly thereafter, and in 1986 found true hope through Christ.
"I was in such a deep depression," she says. "I had absolutely nothing to live with, and I went to a Christian church and I just cried out, 'God, whoever you are, I want to know You.' And in that minute I had a miraculous conversion, and I have actually been literally changed. The old has been made new."
Spencer says since her book has been released, she has heard from many "plural wives" who tell her they now have hope that there is a way out of the FLDS cult. As for Spencer, she lives in California with her husband of 20 years.
Source: OneNewsNow.
Pure nonsense, I saw them on TV at a custody hearing. Where did you get THAT from?
This is another slander. The article even mentions an 18 year old boy who chose to stay with his siblings
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