Polygamy Sect's Kids Face Tough Transition

Radical Culture Shift Awaits More Than 400 Children Placed In Texas' Foster Care System

(CBS/AP)  The hundreds of children from a polygamist compound taken into state custody are on their way to group homes, shelters and residences, but experts and lawyers fear their transition may be much harder than it is for other foster children.

The number of children in Texas custody after being taken from a polygamist retreat now stands at 462 because officials believe another 25 mothers from the compound are under 18.

Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar says the girls initially claimed to be adults but are now in state custody. Earlier they had been staying voluntarily with their children at a shelter at the San Angelo Coliseum.

The official number of children taken from the ranch controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been rising since a state raid three weeks ago. One reason is that some mothers under 18 claimed to be adults.

Roughly 260 children remain at the coliseum. The others were bused to foster facilities.

The 462 children taken from the compound in West Texas will be plunged into a culture radically different from the community where they and their families shunned the outside world as a hostile, contaminating influence on their godly way of life.

Many of the children have seen little or no television. They have been essentially home-schooled all their lives. Most were raised on garden-grown vegetables and twice-daily prayers with family. They frolic in long dresses and buttoned-up shirts from another century.

"There's going to be problems," said Susan Hays, who represents a toddler in the custody case. "They are a throwback to the 19th century in how they dress and how they behave."

Safety concerns are also worrying advocates for the children. There were four deaths in two facilities supervised by the state foster care system in 2006, reports CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston.

Another facility - Boys and Girls Country - northwest of Houston has also reportedly had problems in the past and it is on the placement list for the children removed from the compound, Pinkston reports.

Buses have already shipped 138 children to group homes or boys' and girls' ranches, but most of the remaining children will be separated from their mothers for the first time when they are sent out of San Angelo in the coming days.

The state Child Protective Services program said it chose foster homes where the youngsters can be kept apart from other children for now.

"We recognize it's critical that these children not be exposed to mainstream culture too quickly or other things that would hinder their success," agency spokeswoman Shari Pulliam said. "We just want to protect them from abuse and neglect. We're not trying to change them."

The children were swept up in a raid earlier this month on the Yearning for Zion Ranch run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a renegade Mormon splinter group. Authorities say it believes in marrying off underage girls to older men, and that there is evidence of physical and sexual abuse at the ranch.

The youngsters are being moved out of the crowded San Angelo Coliseum and will be placed in temporary facilities around Texas - some as far away as Houston, 500 miles off - until individual custody decisions can be made.

Those decisions could result in a number of possibilities: Some children could be placed in permanent foster care; some parents who have left the sect may win custody; some youngsters may be allowed to return to the ranch in Eldorado; and some may turn 18 before the case is complete and be allowed to choose their own fates.

Pulliam said the temporary foster care facilities have been briefed on the children's needs. "We're not going to have them in tank tops and shorts," she said.

Pulliam said the children will continue to be home-schooled by the temporary foster-care providers instead of being thrown into big public schools, where they could be bullied because of their differences.

In a related development, an arrest warrant affidavit made public Wednesday shows that a phone number used to report alleged abuse at the Texas retreat had been used previously by a 33-year-old Colorado woman.

It's not yet clear whether authorities suspect Rozita Swinton, of Colorado Springs, made any of the calls that triggered the April 3 raid of the compound.

Texas authorities have said a 16-year-old girl called a crisis center claiming she was abused at the compound. Authorities have not found that girl but say they have found evidence other children were abused.

In February, a woman calling herself "Jennifer" called 911 in Colorado Springs from the same number, claiming that her father had locked her in her basement for days, the document said. Swinton was arrested in connection with that incident on April 16 and later released.

[tjdesocio]

oh those poor children, i only hope the foster centers will not compound all the bad stuff they have been taught about us ''outsiders'', i wish i could keep them all

[gkc99]

Maybe the Texass pigs can put them in re-education camps and beat them into line.

Once the abusers, the male elders, are removed, why cannot the children stay with their moms?

[bluestardad]

SOUNDS LIKE WACO TO ME!

HEAVY HANDED GOVERNMENT RAID ON THE WORD OF A LIAR!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[godofredo29]

The Amish are next.

[bobnjersey]

[The 437 children taken from the compound in West Texas will be plunged into a culture radically different from the community where they and their families shunned the outside world as a hostile, contaminating influence on their godly way of life. ]

and yet ... they continue w/ their plans to do this ... and characterize it as being in the best interests of the children.

[rushlimpdrug]

"They are a throwback to the 19th century in how they dress and how they behave."

Are they wearing burkas?

Now that is a throwback of centuries if I''ve ever seen one.

What a crook of krap.

I hope ALL the ones not involved in the molestation have good lawyers and sue Texas for big bucks.

Saying the kids didn''t watch television as if it was torture and abuse is KRAZY!

You mean they''ve missed out on "who''s you''re daddy" episodes of Maury?

[mikegerety]

Maybe the non-polygamist mainstream Mormon Church congregations would be better suited to foster-care the children at this time?

[rushlimpdrug]

Maybe the non-polygamist mainstream Mormon Church congregations would be better suited to foster-care the children at this time?
Posted by mikegerety at 11:56 AM


Great idea.

Maybe the government has plans to raid them also.

Are they still a cult?

[beehive21-2009]

All this on the word of a lying,Black lady. The State of Texas has withdrawn from the USA,thrown The Constitution, The Bill of Rights out the window and is now a Rouge nation ,that kidnapped children on the word of a Ghost 16 y/o ? Shame on Texas.

[itgranny]

godofredo29: The Amish are next.
I was thinking that myself the other day.

Where does this end? You ran out of milk so your kids got koolaide to drink for one meals? you sent your kids outside to play and one broke their arm climbing a tree? Perhaps your teen overslept and went to school with no breakfast. The lifestyle nazis are out to get you.

If you ask me, children should not be exposed to religion until they are of ample age to make decisions for themselves, and at that point, they need to be exposed to everything, from Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Wicca, atheist to Morman Then you can honestly say that the religion they practice is geunuinely free will.

My grandmother was 15 when she got married as i''m sure were many more of our ancestors that did the same.

[rushlimpdrug]

"5 Young People Found Dead In Chicago"

Maybe they can send some of the younger kids
to Chicago.

That would give them a good start on how
good a normal society can be.

[sdcjd1]

Poor kids. Now they will be placed in the sketchy foster care system, and they''ll be twice as vulnerable than most other foster children to the abuses that can go on within that system. They''re also not equipped to deal with our over the top desensitized culture. They''re just in a lose-lose situation. All so some sick 50 something year old men could have *** with 13 year old girls. Disgusting all the way around.

[susieq_13]

Just give the kids back to their families. It''s nobodies business how they live. Those kids are going to be a lot worse off with the state. They''ll never be able to find their real parents once the state ships them off to foster homes. Those poor poor children.

[fabrat1]

It''s now wonder there is so much child abuse. It''s people like all of you that think the kids should just go back and be left alone that give us a bad name. You must all be child abusers to think this is ok!!

[mollydtt]

It''s rather ironic, though. The polygamists strictly kept their kids away from the contaminated, unpure outside world, and now they are living in this unholy, sinful world. I''m sure the kids have been told that anyone off of the ranch is the devil. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.

[rushlimpdrug]

"You must all be child abusers to think this is ok!!"
Posted by fabrat1 at 12:46 PM

Ah, yeah, sure, whatever you say there dude.

You wouldn''t by chance happen to live in Colorado would you?

[shavshu]

Would posters (and journalists) please stop before calling these people "mormons" or suggesting that "Mormons would be better suited to foster-care the children." They are not of the Mormon faith at all! Theirs is a completely different religion. It is wrong to even call them a "renegade mormon sect" unless you are going to refer to Lutherans, Anglicans, and Protestants as "renegade Catholic sects." This religion broke away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints OVER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS AGO because they refused to stop practicing polygamy and because they had other disagreements on doctrinal issues. There has not been an association with the Mormon church since then. They started their own religion just as Lutherans, Anglicans, and Protestants have done.

[fabrat1]

Nope I don''t live in Colorado I live in Dallas and by the way.... I''m not a dude. I still stand by what I say and if you don''t like it then that''s just tough. In my opinion anyone that thinks they should have never gone in there or thinks the kids should just go back to what the came from is either an idiot or a child abuser.

[nolalou]

I don''t know exactly what was going on in that compound, but now I see in another news report, that the phone used to call in the complaint of abuse by a 16 year old girl, was traced to a 30 year old Colorado Woman with a history of making prank calls, and with personality disorders! So the raid on the compound, and taking all the children away may have been based on a hoax! What if next time some prank caller tells the police that you''ve been abusing children??

[dvisbell]

This is absolutely ridiculous. Unless they can determine for certainty that these children have been abused they should be allowed to stay with their mothers.

[billpl-2009]

"Would posters (and journalists) please stop before calling these people "mormons" or suggesting that "Mormons would be better suited to foster-care the children." They are not of the Mormon faith at all! Theirs is a completely different religion"
-- shavshu

we''ll stop calling them mormons
when mormons stop calling themselves christians

[mediapreachr]

The sure way to destroy a community is to take away their children.
Whoever instigated this will take their land and businesses-casinos will be built,liquor stores.
Prostitution and drug trade will make sure that modern "morality" prevails.
I doubt that a close knit community like the mormons will give up so easily-millions in lawsuit damages are on the horizon;Guess who''ll pay in the end?

[rushlimpdrug]

"Would posters (and journalists) please stop before calling these people "mormons" or suggesting that "Mormons would be better suited to foster-care the children." They are not of the Mormon faith at all! Theirs is a completely different religion"
-- shavshu


Don''t worry, Mormons are on the same list.

"Normal" christians think of you as a sect.

[rohink-2009]

How come the police had an undercover agent in the compound for four years and was unable to get any evidence of abuse?

[extremophil]

Give these kids a Wii and a couple of Ipods, and maybe they''ll find a new reason to believe in God.

[phydeux1]

To shavshu: Most people equate anyone believing in any "latter day saints" to being Mormon.

Quite frankly, as a Jew myself, I don''t see what was wrong with the Old Testament that everybody and their cousin has to add to it, write their own "new version", and add hundreds more saints.

But I think organized religion is as bad as organized crime. My faith in God doesn''t require me to prostrate myself before a pope, a minister, or some Warren Jeffs type who pronounces himself God''s speaker on earth.

Churches and religious organizations are like any other special interest like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. They exist only to maintain their relevance. If people stopped driving drunk MADD would be forced to shut down. If people decided to conduct their faith in their own homes in an individual manner, churches would be obsolete. Therefore we''re told we can''t gain salvation without them.

[barbaraf4]

Pulling these children away from their mothers and their homes is criminal. I believe the harm done by placing them in foster homes out weighs the harm possibly existing in their homes of origin. I have yet to see proof that all (or any) of the accusations are true about their home life.

[mediapreachr]

Yet,the scientology crowd is allowed to rip you off (brainwash you first)-I guess if you dress up in a business suit and have a corner office that makes it ok.

[tbweb]

Polygamy Sect''s Kids Face Tough Transition

Nothing a Play Station 3 or XBOX can''t fix! Try it and see if I''m lying! lol

[rohink-2009]

Some of those girls are 16/17 years old with 5/6 year old children.

Posted by jh6379

***********

I''m not condoning their life style but the above statement is untrue.

[rohink-2009]

they had a consummation alter in the main building for the newly wedded 11/12 year olds. You approve of that?

Posted by jh6379

*****
*********

Please tell me where you got the above information.

[rohink-2009]

jh6379, and you just throw out false info.

[rohink-2009]

hey had a consummation alter in the main building for the newly wedded 11/12 year olds. You approve of that?

Posted by jh6379

Oh really, show me where that piece of info came from.

[denn034]

The FLDS are fundamentalists that''re repulsed by gentile decadence and downright hate the Mormons so, putting these kids in foster homes can only lead to runaways, possibily with the help of their parents to other compounds outside of Texas.

[truthalways]

Abuse?? has it been prooven? we have a phony calls, may be , should be?

from my knowledge you are innocent until prooven guilty...

If there are older men abusing teenage girls and they have proofs, why don''t they arrest them???

It''s coz they don''t have any!!!

Who is suffering in that??? the children, the innocent parents?

check that website and see for yourselves if they were abused or look abused!!! see who are the real abuser , coming with guns, scaring and traumatizing these kids, making them suffer!!!

How would you like having you kids taken away, without evidence of you abusing them, based on a phony call, no search warrant???

How about our many underage teenager getting pregnant, who knows if they were by older men or not, don''t they teach safe *** since 8th grade??? gay rights to foster care kids??? gay books to kidergarten kids? inmate have right, gay have rights, except parents who want to raise their kids to honor God and live the healthy lifstyles???

At least those kids are obdeient, help thei parents, and play like kids!!! watch the video on the website...may be some of you can learn...I am not mormon but I admire them for raising their kids the healthy way, not watching evil shows, listening to eveil music, not teaching respect for thei parents, teaching them to be arrogant, how many abuse in our school system???

http://www.captivefldschildren.org/Videos.php

[truthalways]

Any one who approves the CPS and state doing that, are denial of truth...God has power over any government and can break their unjust laws...just like he did in Israel under the slavery of the Egyptians....

shame on the state and cps for wasting tax money to punish these children...

if they have proofs against the child abusers, why just not arrest them and leave the kids alone...they haven''t had any until now...it''s all just attacking their beliefs and lifestyle...where is freedom and civil rights???


there are gay right, inmate rights(including child molesters) right to have satanic cult, etc..why are they attacking these people based on their beliefs or practice??

Is it because they strive to be self-sufficient? Is it because they just wanted to install their own sewer plants and the state is pissed???

We have child molesters being dumped back in our society, despite them abusing young kids...just check the familywatchodg.com and you will be surprised how many live in your neighborhoods!!! You will be surprised of how many of them there are in every town of the U.S!!!!

just go to familywatchdog.com

why doesn''t cps in Texas go after the true children''s abusers in our society...how many kids are way worst off than these kids???

[truthalways]

Ho many mothers dumped their kids everyday to daycare, the kids hardly get any care or attention, just watch t.v, go to activities etc?

aren''t the FLDS women better mothers??

lately there were an article of child molesters residing at the same address of childcare providers in CA, how safe is our society for children???

Those who judge these people need to look around them and analyze their own liefstyles, before they throw the stone...

[truthalways]

to jh6379

you cannot accuse anyone of pedophilia until they are arrested...

for my knowledge that hasn''t been done

how many underage teenagers have ***, gets pregnant and do abortion in our society????

does anyone care of how old are the men, who gets them pregnant, or is it all undercover???

[rushlimpdrug]

"Hmmmmm, lets see, 19th c clothing..............people with "that stare", religion, polygamy
And we''''re surprised pedophilia is involved?
Posted by jh6379 at 03:43 PM

Are you talking about mormons (original sect/cult)?
or
Are you talking about muslims?
or
Are you talking about some african "cult" that continues to dress funny?

[truthalways]

are the nasty clothing and sexual content in our society better, how many pedophiles lives around us???

check your neighborhood dude...these people teach thei kids better values that our rotten society....

there are movie stars and singers giving bad examples to our daughters, wearing nasty indecent clothes, there are 1000.s of child molesters because of child pornography...

and yet you are pointing finger at those who are dressing properly...

does anyone ask anynody permission, the way they dress their kids...

you are just an gullible believer of the lies of the state and the media...someoen who doesn''t care of teh truth...I am not an FLDS memeber but what CPS and teh state is doing is very evident...if there are pedophiles there go arrest them...why make the kids and the mothers suffer???

[truthalways]

if cps have proofs that the teenagers has been abused as they say, why don''t they just arrest the perpetrators??? there are teenage girls who get pregnant before their age and this by other older teenagers??? they said there were no boys there and yet there were 3 dozens of teenage boys sent to foster homes??

There are lots of accusations, no arrests, no feasible evidence...if they can''t determine the age of the girls, how do they know they are 13???

I think facts and proofs need to be gathere before taking everyone''s kids...I can''t believe all of them are pedophiles and force all their girls into marriage...

should we be judge too by what others do in our liberal society???

[pollroller1]

Well here''s my idea. Take them all back to the compound where they lived. Have social workers stay at the compound with them. DO NOT let the pedophiles back on the property.
I don''t know if this is possible of not, but would be IMHO the best answer.

[truthalways]

to jh6379

you said that you care about kids and yet those kids are suffering being separated from their parents...

do you care about all the kids, or just because the state suddenly decides to attack these people...

do you care about the kids in the city slums, the poor kids abused in our society???

how many child molesters walking loose and our children are being exposed to danger??? do you care???

do you care about so many abortions, pregnancy rate among our teenage girls??

you are just a hypocrite that just like to throw stones at others....how many of you cohabitate with many partners??? have *** as teenagers??? bunch of hypocrites

[truthalways]

to jh6379

may be you have time to play while kids are suffering from separation anxiety, I have this for you:

http://www.captivefldschildren.org/ViewVideo.php?VID=2

[truthalways]

to jh6379

the bible tells you:

"whoever has not sin throw the first stone"

" why do you see the spect in your neighbors'' eyes when there is log in yours"

no one has been arrested, again I will say, you cannot judge or accuse anyone until facts are provided...

there are men who abused, killed their wives in our society...

parents who kill their kids, why don''t you help them???

[truthalways]

to jh6379

you must be a CPS worker right???

from what I read on the newspaper there were three kids'' deaths in one of the foster homes in houston that CPS failed to monitor properly???

how is that the FLDS kids are safer there???

[truthalways]

talking about sicko husbands, there are many of these who cheat on their wives in our society, kill them, beat them. cut them in pieces....why don''t you get them all...

from my understanding not all men on that ranch has more than one wives, some of them has one, some only have two kids...you can''t blame them all because of some crooked ones...

hopefull there want be any military style raid in front of you home, coz your neighbor decide to call on you and have all your kids taken away to some remote unknow, weird foster homes???

have you ever ask any fosters kids if they liked being fostered?? how many abuse there were there???

these poor innocent, naive kids will be real victims now???

CPS there will never admit they were wrong..they''ll do anything to make it look serious , when there is no proof...

I will believe when the judge will bring some of these men to jail...

[mediapreachr]

Posted by pollroller1 at 04:00 PM : Apr 24, 2008
They( the neighbors) want the mormons out of there,it doesn''t matter what pretext they come up with.
After that,they will help themselves to the land and their businesses.

[rushlimpdrug]

From what I have been reading
form CPS workers/friends of CPS workers:

ALL CPS workers are krazy.

They are the cops of kids.

Like cops, there are good and bad and the code is
if they are bad keep your mouth shut and do your
work or else your job (paycheck) is in jeopardy.

[truthalways]

to jh6379

Yes I do know right from wrong..it is right to take away kids when they are truly abused...

there are so many kids abused in our society and CPS does not do anthing this even when you bring proof to them...

I am one of these who brought the accuser to them and they told me coz the child was too young, she cannot testify in a court so nothing can be done against the father...

it''s easy for you to judge!!!

GOD is the sole judge and only is justice is fair...I do not believe in CPS or man''s justice...they are never about justice...it''s all about taking kids for no reason..babes suckling on their mothers...and that is wrong...

take the crooked men away..leave the kids alone