The children in the Texas polygamy case have been moved to a sports arena. This is one way to keep the children together, which at this point is important for their feeling of safety and security.

Up until today, the mothers of the children had been allowed to stay with them. As of today, mothers may only stay with children five or under. There are both pros and cons to this situation.

On the pro side, these children are scared. They are in a culture completely different from anything they have ever encountered before. Allowing the children to stay with their mothers keeps some sense of continuity in their lives and may actually help their mental health. If the children and the mothers are able to remain together and the goal of foster care is reunification if at all possible, they are basically preventing a child from having to reunify from their mothers.

On the con side, there are several. The mothers have shown impaired judgment to begin with. They had their children in what is basically a cult. If they are continuing to “brain wash” their children against the very people who are trying to help them, it will take even longer for the children to be able to heal.

The financial aspects of caring for over 400 children is hard enough and could be financially devastating for the state of Texas, when you add in the additional cost of supporting over 100 mothers, the financial impact becomes even more devastating.

One other thing to consider is that you are more likely to get the “full story” from the children when their mothers are not present, especially if the mother played a part in the abuse. Many of the children were both physically and sexually abused. While the mother may not have directly abused the child, if she arranged for her young daughter to have sex with one of the men, she is just as guilty of abuse as the man.

While a sports arena is not the best environment for a child to be living, the State of Texas doesn’t really have too many other options. Already being short of foster homes and then thrusting another 400 plus children into the system all at one time is not something they are equipped to handle, not to mention that they are all in one region. If they were spaced throughout the state it might be easier.

I know we will hear much more about this case in the coming weeks and months. These children are going to need extensive therapy and possible physical treatment depending on the level of abuse they suffered. There may be a surge of adoptable children available from Texas in the coming year.


USA Today article

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