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News Brief: Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Today DFPS briefed Judge Barbara Walther on the health and status of all the FLDS children since she ruled last week that they should remain in temporary state custody.

The judge issued no new orders and left decisions about placements in foster care to the agency’s discretion.  However, since the judge prefers keeping children younger than 12 months with their adult mothers, DFPS is looking at the feasibility of doing that. Eighteen women are in this category.

DFPS will keep FLDS children in groups and do everything possible to keep siblings together in foster care. A few younger children and children with special needs may be placed in individual foster homes, with the rest in a variety of facilities and group settings. Minors with children will be kept together.
 
So far DFPS has placed 138 children in foster care across the state, including the 111 transported from the shelter in San Angelo Tuesday and the 27 teenage boys who were previously relocated.  The children moved this week are mostly between the ages of 5-17. About 300 children remain at the shelter in San Angelo.

While most of the mothers who have been staying in the shelters must be separated from children as they go into foster care, plans are being devised to allow and encourage visitation.
 
In addition, all foster care providers who may be caring for these children received information about how to accommodate their unique needs. This includes religious practices, food, clothing, etc.

Once the children are in their new temporary homes, caseworkers will evaluate the education achievement and needs of each child. Educational instruction will be arranged on site. No FLDS child will go to a public school at this time.

As with all children in foster care, these children will get psychiatric evaluations and receive whatever services they need to adjust to their new situation.