I have been following this case since I heard of it last year. I have a relative (with no internet) that lives near the family and has seen them about occasionally before and since the disappearance. Most stuff online has been very critical of the family. The dad is a "person of interest" and for all I know he may have had something to do with whatever happened, but that is far from clear right now.
There are some things though that I think have been misread about this family. I think that they are just "hippie back-to-nature" types and that's the reason for the "pioneer" type existence in the little hansel/gretel cabin without modern utilities. It was NOT like some kind of house of horrors with kids in cages. It sounds like the mom, at least, was seeking a better life and really trying to save these kids. Some of the most fervent folks worried about Jaliek now were former foster families that were set to adopt him but did NOT because the disassociative personality disorders that he apparently suffered from may have made them worry for the safety and well-being of other members of their family. I think the adoptive family thought they could "fix" him through love and this purity of their "get away from it all" existence. It certainly looks like the grandmother has Jaliek's best interests in mind and heart, but we do not know the history of her relationship with her daughter and her daughter's family, or whether she was supportive while her own daughter was growing up herself, or anything.
I hope to God that Jaliek is alive somewhere. I think maybe he's not. I think perhaps someone who was supposed to care for him failed him or something awful happened. They weren't the first to fail him. But maybe the last. I just hope there is a break in this case. And I don't understand WHY this case never got the kind of attention that for example, little Caylee's case has gotten. ALthough, that sort of media attention doesn't seem to get better results in finding the child anyway, does it? Very sad. I hope Jaliek is OK or at peace and that his mother's family and grandmother's family can have peace someday too.