Tuesday, April 22, 2008

From Texas Dept. of Family and Protective Services

Latest News on Eldorado

News Brief: Monday, April 21, 2008

http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/About/News/2008/2008-04-21_news.asp

DFPS and other state agencies continue to shelter and care for 437 children removed from the FLDS ranch near Eldorado. A more accurate census taken at the shelter at the San Angelo Coliseum determined an additional 21 children are in state custody.

Some 950 state employees and private agency staff are operating the shelter and caring for children at the shelter and providing for all the needs of the children.

DNA Testing

Collecting samples for court ordered DNA testing is going smoothly at the coliseum. Cheek swabs are being collected from each child, as well as the adults who still accompany them. Once all the samples are collected it will take 30 to 50 days to get the results.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office is overseeing the collection of samples. Tomorrow, teams will be in Eldorado to collect samples from anyone who claims to be a parent of any of the children.

Placements

Children will be moved into foster placements as soon as possible. Once testing is complete, a final court order is entered and placements are finalized.

To make this transition as smooth as possible, DFPS will keep children together in groups. Children will be free to continue to worship daily as is their custom and keeping them together will provide emotional support.

DFPS will keep teenage girls and their children together, and sibling groups together as much as possible.

Once in foster care, DFPS will begin evaluating the educational, healthcare and counseling needs of each child and create a service plan for each child.

Children’s Health

All the children are receiving healthy food, medical care, and enjoying recreational activities to pass the time.

The Department of State Health Services says the overall health of the children is good. There are no serious illnesses and no more than the typical number of illnesses expected in a group of children this size.

5 comments:

Jerri Lynn Ward said...

The barbarism of this decision is gut wrenching.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of their belief system, the children have the right to be with their mothers, especially those little ones who are still being breastfed. Weaning them takes time and the mother's should be given this time or better yet allowed them to remain with their little ones. It is an outrageous decision to take them away.

pyrotechny said...

I agree, this really shows the ignorance of this particular judge. Who will be next?

Anonymous said...

It's amazing to me, the protocol and rights that are being ignored and bulldozed over in this case.

I don't care if there are mothers in this country who go back to work in 6 weeks and put their children on formula. That was those mothers' choices, and not necessarily in the best health interests of the infants.

Breast is best. Those FLDS infants are not in any danger from their mothers. Even the courts own findings have concluded that thus far.

For the record, I am not, nor do I know anyone who is of the FLDS faith. I am just a four-time nursing mother, happily providing nurishment to my 6 month old baby. If anyone ever tried to come between me and my children, preventing me from doing what I know (and what even the American Acadamy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization agree on) is best--watch out.

We need more people to stand up for these mothers' rights.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I just wanted to add, from first-hand knowledge of the CPA "system" these children are going to be placed in (assuming they find the room): What some of these children will go through in these "placements" could easily be just as bad, if not much worse than the home environment the courts are trying to "save" them from.