Dispatch from FLDS hearing: Negotiating each child's future

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Ismael Estrada
360° Producer

Hearing's underway in courtroom B in San Angelo, Texas.  The purpose is to review the state's "family service plans" outlining what parents need to do to get their families back, and to make sure the parents understand what the state is requiring.  The state says the plans are tools to help family reunification.

Judge Thomas Gosset presided over one mother, Nora Jeffs, the mother of 8 minor children.  All the cases were grouped into one, as they had the same mother.

Child Protective Services (CPS) child case worker Irene Schweneger (SP?) takes the stand.

One problem, the caseworker says, that the state is looking to remedy is that all 8 of her children have been placed in different parts of the state.  Ms. Jeffs has been driving all over Texas to visit them.

CPS says it is aware that some health issues have popped up while the children have been in CPS care.  The youngest child, a 1- 1/2 year old boy, has had various illnesses including minor ear infections, but the child required hospitalization.  Unsure why.

While in the coliseum here, some children were rumored to have chicken pox, strep throat etc.  But CPS says they are all in good health now.  They have been given immunizations and other medications including benedryl for what appeared to be an allergic reaction.

The family plan requires parenting training, family counseling and psychological testing of parents.  It was prepared by CPS, working with child care professionals from Texas and the Arizona and Utah attorneys general.

"We do intend this to be a starting block...geared toward family reunification," the caseworker testified.

CPS establised these plans without meeting the parents.  The caseworker says the traveling schedule of the mother driving all over the state to see her kids made such a meeting difficult, but she plans to meet with the mother and amendments to the plan can be made.  She says the father is nowhere to be found and no one can answer to where he is.  His name is Allen Keate.

CHILDREN'S ATTORNEYS' CONCERNS ABOUT THE PLAN:
– Kids need to be educated with a familiar curriculum
– Mother has had to do a lot of traveling because of the separation
– There is no timetable for the reunification
– No meeting with individual parents to structure a plan

CPS says the plan was implemented on basis of the temporary order and original investigation findings, but says today is the first day CPS has even had a face to face meeting with Ms. Jeffs.

MOTHER'S RESPONSE TO THE PLAN:
 "I agree to follow all recommendations so long as they don't conflict with my religious beliefs."

JUDGE'S CONCERNS WITH THE PLAN:
"We all know why we are here. You have a right to religious freedom up until the point where it breaks the law"
He agreed that CPS should work to place the children as close to each other and to the mother as possible.