I've been voraciously following the case about the FLDS raid and subsequent removal of the children. There are a lot of die-hard commenters on other blogs and newspapers that insist that there were violations of the constitution in the removal of the children. There is a lot of inflammatory language about the children having been "kidnapped." I'm not getting into that other than to say that this case is playing out like every other CPS case in that unless and until the requirements of CPS have been satisfied the children will not be going home. Period. I didn't make the rules, I'm just telling my readers how it's going to play out.
Many comments suggest that the FLDS parents should keep a journal of their interactions with CPS workers, and have their attorneys present for every interaction. They're certainly welcome to do that. However, CPS is not there to be friends with the parents, they are there to document compliance and attitude. If the CPS workers feel the parents are focusing their attention on being "right" rather than on complying with the court's orders the court will not view that favorably.
One comment suggested that "what is happening now will not look good ten years down the line when there is a regime change." Ten years from now their children will have long since been adopted by new families if their parents don't complete the court's plan in the here and now. It will be cold comfort to everyone involved ten years from now to look at anyone's journal written today about why they didn't follow their plan.
What kind of things might the parents be required to do as part of the court-ordered plan for reunification? It's a good guess they will be required to participate in therapy. And, they should not have any expectation of confidentiality because the therapist will be required to submit reports on progress to the court. They're going to have to address their housing situation. Before people get worked up over this I'm going to say that this is standard in CPS cases. Parents are required to have a regular place of residence and CPS will pay particular attention to how many people are living in the home. Parents will also have to show they are able to support their children financially. If they do not have a high school diploma they may be required to obtain a GED. And, while this is going to be hugely unpopular, they will probably be required to renounce polygamy. This could be a deal-breaker for a lot of people but as a point of fact, polygamy is not legal, and when parents voice the intent to continue illegal behavior they can expect their parental rights to be terminated.
While it seems clear that the original phone call which prompted the initial warrant to search the ranch was bogus, once the children were removed this case took on a life of it's own. Whether people agree or disagree with the actions of CPS the only way for the FLDS parents to get their children back is to do what the court requires and as quickly as possible.
Parents who expend their energy on politics and being "right" will find themselves shortchanging their efforts to work their plan and the clock is ticking. The court has a year to made a permanency plan, with an option for a six-month extension. After that the parents can be "right" all they want but if the court decides they didn't do enough their parental rights will be terminated and new families will be found for the children. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of focusing their attention on working the plan laid out for them by the court.
