Monday, June 2, 2008

A Texas court has announced that all children taken from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) compound in Texas are being returned to their parents. Beginning today, parents have been allowed to collect their children, all of whom were in state custody before the announcement.

The more than 460 allegedly abused children were taken into state custody last month after officials say they received a call from a distressed 16-year old girl. The children were found in a 1700-acre compound belonging to the FLDS. It is now believed that the original phone call was actually a hoax.

The decision follows an appeals court ruling that Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) should not have taken the children from the FLDS.

Recently the CPS in Texas filed papers on this issue, saying that the families may choose to flee Texas if they are reunited per the appeals courts ruling. If the families were to do that, they would then be outside the court’s jurisdiction, putting the children at risk of abuse.

The CPS in Texas released a statement regarding the court ruling: “We are disappointed, but we understand and respect the court’s decision and will take immediate steps to comply. Child Protective Services has one purpose in this case – to protect the children. Our goal is to reunite families whenever we can do so and make sure the children will be safe. We will continue to prepare for the prompt and orderly reunification of these children with their families. We also will work with the district court to ensure the safety of the children and that all of our actions conform with the decision of the Texas Supreme Court.”