We had wanted to adopt from the very beginning. Despite what you may have read, we reached out to DHS numerous times and were met with nothing but hostility. He grew emotional describing his dilemma: We were threatened with possible abandonment charges and potentially losing our own boys as well if we returned the girls to DHS custody. I knew how foster homes are some are good, some not. And then, she found the Harrises. Speaking anonymously, she expressed frustration with both adoptive parents and DHS. It is not OK, but I understand. Many of the online posts say the unwanted children have physical or mental disabilities. The story first . He said DHS threat to charge him with abandonment could have cost him custody of his three biological sons (and, though he did not say so, could have cost him his business as well, Growing Gods Kingdom preschool). The foster kids are cominginto the foster system because they have been abused or neglected. The older one was very protective of the younger one.. Tweet. After just four months in the Harris home, the oldest girl was placed in an inpatient facility and her adoption by the Harrises was never finalized. She did so good. Harris publicly announced on social media that the adoption had been finalized on March 6, 2013. A source familiar with DHS indicated that there may be at least some truth to that claim. Theyre just normal little girls. So, they decided to place the child for adoption. An Arkansas state legislator who sent his adopted daughters to live at the home of a former employee, who in turn later sexually abused one of the girls, has defended his decision. To at least keep them together, instead of DHS taking my rights, said Sarah Young, the biological mother of the three sisters, in an interview with the Times. Unless he gave them guns, they werent dangerous., He felt especially offended at Harris statement in the press conference thatthey had to medicate the middle child to prevent her from hurting her sister. He said Mary displayed only affection and kindness toward her younger sister. So, sure, higher-ups will get into discussions about what is best and what is not., However, a source familiar with the workings of state-level DHS informed the Times that Blucker supposedly remarked in 2012 that Harris threatened to hold up the budget for the division if he didnt get to adopt those girls.. ), Craig Hart also raised the issue of faith when addressing Justin Harris comments about the girls. And Im shocked, because they did work with these children at Childrens House, and they saw how difficult foster parents have it with little kids who have mental issues. He saw it as, Im with God. More shocking still: WhatHarris did, unofficially giving away an adopted child, is not illegal in Arkansas. Justin Harris and Dani LaMartina are guests on this episode of Dave Tate's Table Talk to discuss training, recovery, and diet in lifting. These girlsare happy, healthy children who have gone through things no child should ever have to endure. Thats why we have supervisors and area managers because you want as many eyes as you can to help make sure we make the best, most appropriate decisions for those kids. [She] heard about us through the church on Dickson Street [in Fayetteville] where they gave free meals. Following the publication of the story, he and his wife, who have three biological sons, released a statement through their lawyer. Sometimes you see kids put in a safe environment and all hell may break loose. elitefts staff 2 hours, 15 minutes, 19 seconds January 20, 2022 Education, Exercise Index, Video & Workouts & Programs WATCH: Back Training with Justin Harris "Dumbbell rows are bodybuilding burpees." But the Harrises were hell-bent on having it happen. Justin and Marsha Harris bought into this concept, and adopted because they wanted a family of five. In the interview with KARK last Friday, Harris said Francis left to spend more time studying for a seminary degree and that the parting was amicable. They argued they were more than capable of raising these young girls. He said at the Friday press conference that they wanted only to adopt the younger sisters but were forced to accept the eldest as part of a package deal: Marsha and I always planned to have five children. Eric Francis was served a 40-year sentence for sexually abusing a young girl after she and her little sister were re-homed into his care. The older girl, who would have been about 6 years old at the time she entered the Harris household, presented an imminent danger to his older three sons, Harris said. But typically, those cases should involve family services officials and a judge who makes the final decision about custody of the child, Lestino said. See Photos. When news of the rape came out in April 2014 and Harris was questioned about his former employee, he told the Times hed fired Francis for a poor work record. While the Harts were aware that the sisters had come from a troubled and sexually abusive background, the couple didn't notice any extremely alarming behaviors from the girls during the year and a half they spent in their home in Fayetteville, Ark. You dont just change them in a couple of weeks to be the way you want. DHS had placed her in a therapeutic foster home where the foster parents would be trained to deal with her special needs. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community. What she recalls is that Justin and Marsha Harris did not heed the warnings of person after person familiar with the sisters special needs, who uniformly counseled against placing troubled girls in a home with young boys and busy parents. Marsha was showing me these really beautiful pictures of these rooms that they had supposedly set up for the girls, Young recalled. He was told by many people in DHS, These are not the kids you want to just jump into. Thats why Im angry. The lawmaker did not reveal at the time the child Francis raped was Harris own. See Photos. And there were no tears. Kimberly A. Warren: 'Mr. "Exorcisms and telepathy are not part of the Harrises' religious practice. But what of Jeannette, the oldest daughter and the first to be taken in by the Harrises, who the lawmaker said sometimes spent about eight hours every day screaming and in a rage and threatened violence upon his sons? After Fridays press conference, Justin Harris gave a lengthy interview to a KARK-TV, Channel 4, reporter in which he told a similar story about how his troubled adoption began. Meanwhile, Sarah Young, the biological mother, had made a plan of her own. But by January 2014,Francis had been fired for poor work attendance, the Arkansas Times said. But parents cannot use normal parenting. The girls' new adopted mother, who asked not to be named, told 20/20, "I want people to know who they really are, 'cause who they really are is fun and sweet and sensitive and strong. He said they suffered from reactive attachment disorder, a condition sometimes occurring among children with unstable backgrounds that results in severe emotional and social problems. She came to live with Eric Cameron Francis, a former employee of Rep. Justin Harris. Justin Harris adopted girls in 2013 - then gave them away after six months Handed them over to Eric Francis, who went on the rape the six-year-old Francis was convicted of sex crimes in 2014. See Photos. We got the little one first; Im pretty sure it was the first weekend of March 2011, Cheryl Hart said. Later that year, the couple contacted DHS about their intentions. No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you, he added, quoting a Bible verse. The second best result is Justin Harris age 20s in Dayton, OH in the Fairlane neighborhood. Copyright 2023 IBTimes LLC. At the hearing, the ad litem attorney you know, the one who is representing only the interests of the children said, When we met less than a couple of days ago, everyones recommendation was for these kids to not go to this home. Nearly a dozen people interviewed by theTimestell a different story of Justin and Marsha Harris dealings with DHS and their relationship with the three young girls. , Especially at risk are children described as troubled and lacking a consistent parental figure, says Eric Ostrov, a Chicago-based forensic psychologist who evaluates sex offenders. Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. And about a month later, the infant's 2-year-old sister was also placed with the couple. Their biological mother, who had a history of drug abuse and had lived with a string of abusive men, was deemed unfit to care for them. 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Holmes goes ring shopping! It is a good step, advocates say, that could help protect some of the most vulnerable children and underscore the importance of preparing families for the challenges of foster children before adoption. This was my last effort at being a good mother., Our idea was going to be to have a private adoption, Harris said in the KARK interview. The Arkansas Times piece, written by Benjamin Hardy, also points out that in that state there is no law that prohibits parents from leaving their child in another individual's care. Responding to the Arkansas Times report that uncovered Harris rehoming of his children, the state legislator said he was failed by the Department of Human Services when he told employees the girls were too difficult for the family to handle. They say Blucker exerted pressure on the Washington County DHS office on behalf of Justin Harris to facilitate the adoption. We dont want to identify exactly which child did what. See Photos. The problem was simple hubris. The girls had regular counseling at Childrens House in Springdale, a center specializing in mental health treatment for young victims of abuse. The adoption involves three little girls, who ranged in age from 9 months to 4 years old when it started. Sex crimes: Eric Francis (above) is now serving 40 years in prison for rape, Blame game: In a press conference on Friday Rep. Harris blamed what happened on theArkansas Department of Human Services. March 12, 2015 8:00 am. In October 2013, Justin Harris dropped off his two young daughters to begin their new life with the Francises. Casting out demons: why Justin Harris got rid of kids he applied Gaudin makes good: Mini Maker Faire coming to NLR, Morning minutia: Legislation to protect bank from lawful taxes, When Love Is Not Enough, a Parents Guide to Reactive Attachment Disorder, a lengthy interview to a KARK-TV, Channel 4, reporter. The lawmaker also said DHS misled him about severe behavioral issues with the girls. We had a dog, a little Bichon, that they were around all the time and there was never once any issue with her abusing an animal. Both sides agree that the Harris family was approached to adopt three girls by their biological mother. Arkansas House Speaker Jeremy Gillam meanwhile said that Rep. Harris will face no repercussions for rehoming the two young girls. The rehoming of Mary and Annie officially came to the attention of DHS on March 28, 2014, thanks to an anonymous call to the child abuse hotline operated by State Police. About us - Harris Residential. The former DHS employee confirmed this account. I hold DHS accountable And Im not sorry for doing it, he declared. I care what my wife thinks about me, and I care what my three sons think about me,' said Rep. Harris, Rapist: Francis pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault in the second degree. The separate source close to the Harrises reported seeing a video that Marsha Harris said showed a demon interacting with one of the girls. True, they looked to older children here in America who were in need of a stable and safe home; but the children were old enough to not want a new "forever family" as decreed by the courts. We do not do exorcism. Justin Harris was born on 1975, is a Preschool owner and operator. For reasons similar to their own, the Harts said DHS therapists, case workers, adoption specialists and other former foster parents also warned that this would not be the right fit. ABC4 Newscasts; ABC4 Live Events; Video Center; Podcasts Eventually she also testified in court against the Harris adoption. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Chelsey Goldsborough was a high school senior when she started babysitting for the Harrises' two remaining adopted daughters in spring of 2013. First, the children. While caring for the two girls, Eric Francis wasemployed briefly at Growing Gods Kingdom, the Christian day-care owned by Harris. Months later, the Francises transferred the girls to yet another family. 01643 703559. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, who was aware of that fact that Rep. Harris had rehomed the girls when Francis was charged in 2014 but unable to speak out at the time as the case had not yet been made public said: 'I was shocked. So in early 2011. when a mother of three reached out to the devout couple about adopting her three young daughters who were about to be permanently taken away by DHS, the family decided they wanted to make these siblings members of their family. The former DHS employee confirmed this information as well. It may be in the report you have, but just in case the minors identities are known, we dont want to be specific for their own protection.. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. We had a dog, a little Bichon, that they were around all the time and there was never once any issue with her abusing an animal. Response: 'I don't care what the people of Arkansas think about me. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. and Mrs. Harris have suffered a severe injustice', Christian school: Pictured is Growing God's Kingdom Preschool, in which Rep. Harris owns, employed Francis for three months, It was also reported in the story that the Harris family 'continued to accept adoption subsidy money even after giving the children away.'. Startled by the Harris case, Arkansas could be next. An emotional Rep. Justin Harris (R-West Fork), his wife at his side, told reporters at a press conference last week that he sent his two adopted daughters to live with another family, where one of them was later sexually abused, because he would have faced abandonment charges by the state. The Harts said that a local team working on the adoption including themselves, DHS caseworkers, adoption specialists, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and therapists from Ozark Guidance, a mental health provider made the Harrises fully aware of the girls history of neglect and sexual abuse and cautioned them that they were unprepared to handle children from such a background, especially considering their home included young boys. You can have a degree in child development, but thats not a degree in child development run amok, gone wild.. *This story has been updated since it was originally published. Some adoption specialists do a hell of a job. But recently,Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida and Louisiana havepassed laws addressing the practice. Jan Wallis is an adoption specialist at the Arkansas Department of Health Services (DHS). That is why, in 2011, Young approached the Harrises and asked them to adopt her daughters, then in foster care. Id be pretty pissed off, too.. My husband was so worried of any allegations that he wouldnt go down the hall to her room. Culture dates back to Germany during the era of Hitler and his shenanigans, where grandmother became pregnant and moved to Canada. See Photos. The mother who now has custody of the young girls said: 'I don't like that they took this path to get here, but they are home now, and they are loved and cherished. Justin Harris told 20/20 that "We're not sleepin'. I do have compassion for parents in the throes of dealing with this. 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