^^bbm
Having known several GAL's, I don't see it that way.
It's truly a gift to be able to look at the situation through the eyes of minor children, evaluating them first as individuals, second as a unit, and working with the adults to make the future transition as conflict and tension-free as possible.
It's pretty obvious that this has been a fractured family for some time -- not just the past 10 months MM missing.
The Millete children only know what they've lived -- in other words, they don't know they're being tormented by their dad and grandparents!
LM (and his parents) have been the constant, dominant force known to them their entire lives. It took MM, an educated adult, more than 20 years to learn what she was living was not normal or healthy. As in life, you do better when you know better.
It's going to be a process for each of the children where little by little, we hope they will learn to "grow their family" (not replace) with their new attachment figures M & R and form a bond with them.
I support the GAL's recommendation, and also how removing the children from the only home they've known, their school, friends, etc. without an age-appropriate transition would be emotional torture.
Beginning Sunday, Nov 14, here's to the families establishing some boundaries, and the children re-acquainting and building trust with adults that have been missing from their lives for nearly a year.
They need our prayers. MOO
