Is this a case of the reports to LE not being as bad as reported? Did the children, whom I am sure have been questioned by specialists, not tell the truth? The younger children, as a rule, tell things without giving a thought to right or wrong. Has the son in college spoken to LE and told his account of living at home?
From the pictures with LE in the living area, the home looks well maintained. I did notice an organ, which is not cheap, so would assume one of the parents must play. Perhaps the organ was given to them or they bartered for it. It just sort of seemed odd to me in a house with so many children.
Please either tell us what these parents have done or let them have their children back.
My opinions only.
The house did look very well-maintained and the children as well - healthy, clean, etc..
However, in no system in the country are juvenile dependency cases open to public scrutiny. It will never be a requirement that the public be told what the parents have done for the government to retain custody of those kids. That is because those case are totally confidential.
Nevertheless, there are varying hints and accounts in what LE and the parents have said.
1. The mother reported that their was an anonymous allegation that the children were running barefoot in the snow.
2. Both parents have stated there were allegations that MMS, a non-FDA approved supplement, was being given to the kids.
3. The sheriffs stated that:
"On January 9, 2015 the Garland County Sheriff’s Office responded to possible child abuse and neglect allegations from reports of concerned citizens to the Child Abuse Hotline. This information was provided by two concerned citizens that are familiar with, and friends of, the family.
Multiple agencies responded to the residence, located at 815 Treasure Isle Road, Hot Springs Arkansas. Upon arrival, and after an extensive on site investigation, it was determined by investigators the minor children living at the residence were at risk of serious harm due to a number of different factors. There have been a number of reports in various media outlets the decision was made to remove the minor children from the residence based on one contributing factor of a chemical known as “MMS” or “Miracle Mineral Supplement.”. This is absolutely false, as there were a number of different factors and investigators felt they had no choice but to intervene in the best interest of the minor children."
http://hotspringsdaily.com/2015/01/sheriffs-update-on-children-taken-into-fostercare/
4. The father stated that they were accused of spanking the kids: "But, he noted, if spanking constitutes child abuse, most families would be guilty. 'Any parent in America would identify with me when you’re dealing with rebellious teenagers,' he said."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ts-over-the-dangerous-miracle-supplement-mms/
5. The mom stated that someone alleged the dad had slapped one of the kids in the face.
6. The adult son defended LE and DHS while sympathetic to his parents, he said their was some truth and possibly some exaggeration in the allegations but reason for concern his parents probably need help with their parenting.
7. The dad said allegations were made by one, possibly two disgruntled teens.
Unless there are criminal charges, it is unlikely we will ever get the whole story. It is not our right to know. And it is not necessary that we know for kids to be placed or kept in the system. Public knowledge of the allegations and/or public opinion is 100% irrelevant to securing the safety and welfare of children.