DCFS can be held accountable by an independent ombudsman who investigates child protection complaints against the agency. DCFS must also answer to a review group made up of state lawmakers, the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel, which can make recommendations.
Rep. Christine Watkins, a chair of the panel, said Friday that she is aware of the Franke case through news reports and is planning to follow up with DCFS with her own questions about what occurred.
“I had concerns when I heard about the case. Not only were neighbors calling, but older siblings were calling, too,” she added. “It sounds like those kids were in pretty bad shape. And it’s certainly something we have the right to call DCFS out on to know what might have gone wrong.”
She also questioned whether Franke’s status as a well-known YouTube vlogger and the outward appearance she presented about her family may have influenced any child welfare investigations.
“If someone has the resources, they can cover up, they can disguise a lot of things,” Watkins said. “Even when kids go to court, kids can be told not to say anything. They can be intimidated by the situation.”
The Daily Mail reported that Franke appeared via video from a Utah jail on Thursday for a separate hearing held in juvenile court.
Mashburn confirmed the hearing occurred, but did not confirm details from the news report, telling NBC News it “was a child welfare case and records are private.” The next pretrial hearing in juvenile court is scheduled for Sept. 18, according to
KSL.
They were each charged with six counts of felony child abuse last week by the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
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