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Thursday, July 21, 2011

FOLLOW-UP - Judge Rules Children to Be Returned to Parents

Two weeks ago we ran a story of the Leonard family in Houston.  Their children, apparently well cared for and happy, were taken because the family could not afford what the state deemed to be a “proper home”.  Below is the follow-up …

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Prince and Charlomane Leonard sat together in a Houston courtroom on Wednesday, anxiously waiting for a judge to decide their family's fate. With hands clasped tightly, the couple occasionally whispered to each other, biding the time before their turn to approach the bench.

Unknown to them, in the lobby on the other side of the court's double doors, their six children also were sitting, waiting and hoping that their family would all be together again.

It had been more than a month since Child Protective Services caseworkers found the family living in an eastside storage shed and removed the children from their parents' custody, citing unsafe living conditions as the reason. Since then, the couple, who said they'd never been apart from their children for a night, were able to see them for only six hours a week.

"I just already feel like I've missed so much," Charlomane said as she sat in the courtroom.

After about an hour of uncertainty, the judge finally told the couple they could have their children back and go home with them that day.

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, nice story. But WHY do people have kids they can't afford? I just don't get it. If you love your children like you say, do all you can to support the ones you have instead of bringing more mouths into the world.

Anonymous said...

this was a travesty. should NEVER have happened. the nerve of people to judge "poorer" people in our society. for all intent and pruposes this family looked happy and content. there was NO report of abuse and they had food on their table each day. they were not leaching from the taxpayers and the father worked to provide the best he could. so who in the "h" are we to judge this as bad?
i'm sure christian agencies and churches have stepped up to offer help. it is their decision to reject or accept offers.
again, get off your high horse and welcome to the real world. not every person and family are going to fit in your little "perfect" box.
there are many cultures that actually believe they should have children and God will provide. they also believe a man is an infidel who doesn't provide for his family. in this case the man of the house was working to provide. maybe not up to your standards but he was trying his best. didn't look like there was a "lack of love" to me........

Anonymous said...

12:10 guess you would rather they go to the government and ask for all the freebies thousands of loafers get by playing the system. These people have done nothing wrong, being poor is not a crime. I applaud the parents for loving and supporting their children as best they can. I am sure God will help them also. Why isn't the government going after the parents of all the hoodlums and putting their misfits into protective services? That would at least give some control over those animals!

Anonymous said...

Actually the family was offered a free house by an anonymous benefactor.So the lesson is if you have kids you cannot afford to support and you get in trouble with the law,someone will inevitably step up and reward you for it.

Anonymous said...

2:35, no the lesson is have a family if this is your desire, work and do your best to provide, trust God and He will see to it your needs are met.
God uses people to give and help others when needed. again, this man was supporting his family, (maybe not to your liking, but who are you)?