There are some things I don´t understand. A lot, but one thing for instance: they had never owned shoes. But on several photos we see them in shoes - several different ones.
Any explanations?
Also the hair washing. It looks like sibling 8 has clean hair in her videos. They say the siblings didn´t know how to bathe or wash their hair.
And in photos from trips their hair looks clean. Would David and Louise have washed the hair of all 13?
I am a bit puzzled by all this.
I think the CEO was speaking in generalities regarding the shoes. The oldest son went to college so he had to have shoes then. And we've seen photos of the kids wearing shoes that could've been returned to the store or even rented.
One thing we know from the DA is that things escalated in the last two years.
To to me it makes sense that they were deprived of regular things a lot and only now and then had them.
As to the hair of the 17 year old, overall she looks healthy and clean. We don't know how she smelled. I echo what others have said about a lack of soap and hair. But a lack of water?
But we have to remember that she was the one who escaped. So we know:
1. She wasn't shackled when she escaped.
2. She was strong enough to escape.
3. She was smart enough to use an inactive cell phone to take photos, connect
to the internet and call 911.
4. She was able to sing loudly and record videos in the house at some point.
Perhaps she had more privileges than the others? Perhaps she had just been allowed to bathe that month?
That is what I noticed too, she looks alert and fine actually. Though way too small for her age, but they all are!
Having the equivalent of a first grade education wouldn't make someone stupid or lethargic. Just lacking education. I mean they could improve writing, speaking and reading skills on their own perhaps but not have education past that level. Don't you think?
Yes, I was talking about sibling #12. It looks like #11 and #12 were pretty close, they are the ones who are hugging or holding hands when most of the siblings don't touch anyone in the pictures. It is weird to me how they were separated because, they are very close in age so, how much different can their needs be? Would it be possible to be such a huge discrepancy between #11 and #12 as far as the need for "care and attention" goes?
Most foster homes have age requirements. Many just won't take teens. Teens are split up from younger siblings a lot. Regardless of closeness or whatever.
I'm definitely in the minority here (and possibly alone) in my thoughts on where they ended up. I have known many families involved in foster care over the years, both providers and recipients, and there are several types of home. I don't know if it's personal decisions or laws, but among those I've known - some were for teens only, some were for only pre-teens, some were for adults, some were therapeutic and others more like normal family homes. It made sense to me to split them up the way they did because only the 2 youngest are under 13, the next 4 are teens and the other 7 are adults.
I also think that the adults were developing unnatural (not immoral or inappropriate) relationships with hospital staff. I think it's great that they had such caring people with them while there, but it seems to me that it would be easier for them to develop relationships in their new home without constant reminders of what they had in the hospital. The people there were really great to them, and just what they needed at that stage of their recovery, but the treatment they received there isn't the way life is in the "real world". I really hope that all concerned do have their best interests in mind when making the decisions, and that things work out for all 13 of them.
ALL MOO
I agree with your first paragraph. But not your second. How can true love and care ever be "unnatural"? It is human instinct to provide care to humans who can't for themselves. It is human nature to feel protective of or to want to give affection to those who have been harmed but yearn for love.
In the book I referred to upthread the author described this one foster mom who had the most successful outcomes with her foster kids - they had fewer mental health and behavioral issues. When asked what she did with thesekids (she had no special training. She was just a sweet country lady) - she said "I just loves them."
She took the kids (ages 3-10 or so IIRC) ad gave them what they needed and had been lacking. So, for example, a six year old foster child she had him sleep in the bed with her (which was routine for her and she got in trouble for, but I guess kept doing it anyhow), she bathed him, fed him with a bottle and rocked him like a baby in her arms. Basically, she treated him like an infant. Gave him all the unconditional love and physical care he had missed.
This is what he needed to heal and become independent eventually.
Going back to the basics of what a human needs from a parent can be super therapeutic and vital to healing. Eventually there is a transition but as the professionals here said "continuity of care" is super important. They needed to maintain those contacts.
