? Fundie family loses kids

[Palimpsest]

Good. Because there is no doubt in my mind that these parents need supervision around their children. Going on the run pretty much ensured that those poor kids will be taken into care.

So Mom was arrested. Why was Dad not arrested? There is a huge DV background. No?

[Mama Mia]

Good. Because there is no doubt in my mind that these parents need supervision around their children. Going on the run pretty much ensured that those poor kids will be taken into care.

So Mom was arrested. Why was Dad not arrested? There is a huge DV background. No?

Mom was arrested because she physically attacked a cop. Dad has a DV background, but didn't do anything to require arrest when they were confronted by the police. Unless he had outstanding warrants there really wouldn't be anything the police could do at that time. It's pretty unusual, at least here, for child neglect or endangerment or violation of a custody order to lead to arrest on its own. Mostly the parents will only be arrested if they would be arrested anyway for whatever is going on. Say a drug bust. Or Dommestic violence call with the children present. Or, of course, sexual abuse or physical injury to the child.

[JMarie]

Kids found. Mother arrested

ksbw.com/news/3-abducted-washington-children-seen-in-aptos-police-say/31115924

I. made. these. children. with. my. womb!

What, like her womb is some special snowflake churner-outer??

[Bethella]

I. made. these. children. with. my. womb!

What, like her womb is some special snowflake churner-outer??

No, in her view, she made them so they're hers to do with as she pleases. As their mother she gets to decide what happens to them without any input from anyone else (besides her husband), especially not CPS. They have no separate identity, no separate needs or desires and certainly no individual rights. The only rights that matter are hers and her husbands.

[GiGi_41]

I've veered away from this post but I do have to question this thought of "CPS wants my babies to make money". It is extremely expensive for CPS to remove children and run through the court system. Once the parental rights are terminated they normally extend the offer of adoption to the foster family. It cost me all of $40 to adopt my child and that was for the court documents. Who is making all this money?

[Mama Mia]

I've veered away from this post but I do have to question this thought of "CPS wants my babies to make money". It is extremely expensive for CPS to remove children and run through the court system. Once the parental rights are terminated they normally extend the offer of adoption to the foster family. It cost me all of $40 to adopt my child and that was for the court documents. Who is making all this money?

I think the " reasoning" is that CPS taking children results in continued government funding for the social workers and administrators. It's a common accusation in all social services. That the government ( or even charitable organizations ) want x problem to continue, because if it was fixed they would go out of business. People use that line of thought all the time when talking about poverty, substance abuse, homelessness, etc.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

The parents side of the story (new):

medicalkidnap.com/2015/02/11/breastfeeding-mother-arrested-and-children-taken-away-by-force-the-parents-side-of-the-story/

[StellaMarie]

I just can't read that much too long article from "her" perspective, but she's claiming that her infant was underweight because he had PTSD!

And, also, she head butted a cop. She wasn't arrested because cops are evil, but because she literally attacked one.

Anyway, I believe one of the prior articles (or maybe her mom in the comments?) suggested that she has mental health issues, and I can't help but wonder if that isn't the case. If so, I really hope she gets help and is able to be a good parent to those kids. Such a sad situation.

[carebaer]

I just can't read that much too long article from "her" perspective, but she's claiming that her infant was underweight because he had PTSD!

Is the PTSD from the stress of having parents disregard his health with an intentionally unattended homebirth? Because the evidence was the babies were underweight when authorities were first alerted and according to them pretty much the only thing that had happened was the babies were born at home.

[dianapavelovna]

I cannot resist commenting on the article and suggesting a few edits.

The police literally ripped 14 month old Levi from his mother’s breast, reports Erica May Carey, as she was nursing him in the car at a California gas station. Her baby was screaming, and she says her breast was exposed as the officers dragged her from the car. As she recounted the events of last Thursday, Erica began weeping, saying that she was “hogtied like an animal, when moments before I was nursing my infant.†She was arrested and jailed for fighting to keep her children with her assaulting a police officer.

"hogtied"? Can you back that up with anything? I'm guessing she was just handcuffed with her hands behind her back.

Erica and Cleave Rengo were the subject of national interest as reports of them fleeing Washington CPS made the headlines. Last November, the holistic, devoutly Christian couple’s three breastfed babies were taken amidst accusations of neglect for choosing alternative remedies such as calendula and coconut oil for their older baby’s eczema and preferring not to take their newborn twins to the hospital after an unassisted homebirth, even though they were reportedly healthy.

After a court hearing and huge public outcry continued assessment by CPS, the babies were returned home in December. It had been a grueling month of separation, and their return came with strings attached. They were being watched, and reportedly had a number of conditions placed upon them in order to be permitted to parent Levi, and the twins, 4 month old Daniel and Morna Kai.

Erica recently spoke exclusively with Medical Kidnap to tell their side of the story and why they left Washington.

Reportedly healthy according to the parents. No information from an independent doctor who's examined the kids.

Neighbor Calls Cops Over Crying Baby

Erica and Cleave live with Cleave’s father in one side of a town home with thin walls dividing them from their neighbors. The couple was trying to get the babies back into a good breastfeeding routine, something that had been disrupted by the babies’ stay in foster care. Erica says that Daniel, one of the twins, had been seriously overfed formula while in state care, gaining an average of 4 oz per day.

According to the well-respected mommy blog kellymom, normal weight gain for a baby his age is 5 to 7 oz per week. Feeding was especially rough for Daniel, and he reportedly showed signs of PTSD distress when feeding. One night in particular, he was having a really tough night and was crying a lot. The next-door neighbor reportedly called the police on them, and they came out over the disturbance of a crying baby.

"seriously overfed" according to her standards. If he was underweight, it's no surprise that he was gaining quickly. Also 'preciate that citation of a mommyblog. JOURNALISM.

I have never heard of a 4-month old infant being diagnosed with PTSD. They can experience traumatic events, but PTSD? Hoo boy.

Also, Cleave's father stated that the police were called three times in the week prior to their departure.

Added Stress From CPS

Life with three small children can be stressful and chaotic in the best of circumstances, as many mothers will attest. Cleave and Erica had the added stress of dealing with CPS watching over their shoulder, and the loss of Cleave’s job over the whole ordeal. Erica says that they were “severely repressed by the system in Bellingham.†CPS reportedly told them that no one could visit them in their home, to help them or any other reason, without CPS approval. Even though a number of people applied, only one person had allegedly been approved.

A social worker would sometimes drop by unannounced to check on the children, but inevitably, like Murphy’s law, that would happen during naptime. Yet, she would reportedly pound loudly on the door instead of knocking, waking the sleeping children and “creating chaos†in the house.

I'm not swayed by the social worker "pounding" on the door. Sometimes people knock on your door, and it wakes your sleeping children. Pain in the ass? Yes. But a typical consequence of...living in the world. And who is "alleging" that no visitors were approved? What was the reason?

Decision to Get Away and De-stress

There were family members who had never met the children who were less than supportive concerned about the children and some of the parents' choices. Cleave and Erica tell us that they had for some time been discussing making a trip to visit some family and friends in California, in the hope that they would be able to gain their support once they met the babies and could sit down and talk.

They knew that their next court hearing was not until February 10, so it seemed like a good idea at the time to get away for a few days, and go visit some relatives and friends. They were scared, and they were under a great deal of pressure.

Erica reports that they were never told that they could not travel out of state. There was nothing saying that in the paperwork, either. They believed that, as long as they were back for the next scheduled court date, they would be fine. They could just get away for a little while to de-stress and regroup. They left on Tuesday, January 27.

Phones are apparently not holistic enough for this bunch - one has to drive to California to try to reconnect with family members.

Why did they leave on January 27 when they had a scheduled appointment with CPS that day?

Misinterpreted Intentions

It was after they were on the road and quite a distance from home that word reached them that there were news reports saying they were fleeing CPS. They heard rumors of an Amber Alert, and that they were accused of kidnapping their children.

According to the Daily Mail, there was not actually an Amber Alert, but a “Be On The Lookout†warning was issued to police across the West Coast, while local news outlets also ran the notice. The day after Cleave and Erica left their home, CPS obtained an order to take the children into custody, reports the Bellingham Herald.

Plans to visit family and friends changed when they heard the reports, Erica reports. They did not want to endanger anyone by showing up on their doorstep, so they actually turned around and were headed back to Washington when they were sighted and apprehended at a gas station on Thursday, February 5.

It's conspicuously not mentioned exactly when they realized there was a "be on the lookout" and kidnapping accusations, just that they were "quite a distance from home." Why did they not reach out to Cleave's father or their CPS worker and explain the confusion?

Erica Arrested and Babies Taken Into Custody

Erica says that she was nursing her oldest baby in their car at the Santa Cruz gas station when police came and tore Levi away from her breast, dragging her out of the car. She describes the whole ordeal as devastating as they took her children away, leaving her bruised physically and emotionally:

“That is not justice; that is brutality to an innocent mother and father.â€

As she was arrested for refusing to cooperate with the authorities, she reportedly shouted out to reporters:

“Send a message to America for me. Children don’t belong to the government. The government belongs to the people.â€

While authorities flew Levi and the twins to Washington to be placed in foster homes, the breastfeeding mother of three Erica spent the weekend in a Santa Cruz county jail. She was released Monday on her own recognizance. The couple is now making their way back to Washington.

There was a hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning, but the judge has ruled that they will reconvene in 7 days, on Tuesday, February 17.

re: bruises: pics or it didn't happen. Also it's not a stretch to imagine that she may have ended up with a bruise or two, since I'm sure LE tried to restrain her after she headbutted an officer.

Addressing Rumors and Accusations

There are a number of things that have circulated in the media about their story that Cleave and Erica told us they wanted to clear up.

One of the reasons that CPS gave for becoming involved in their lives allegedly centers on the twins being “too skinny.†Erica says that the charts that the babies’ weight has been judged by are based on single births, not twins, who are commonly smaller than their singleton counterparts at birth and as they grow in the first several months. The babies were born at 37 weeks, and for being twins at that gestational age, their birth weights were normal. They were gaining weight, and she was working to build an adequate milk supply, supplementing as necessary. However, she chose goat’s milk formula over conventional formula, because she believed it to be healthier based on her research, but the social worker apparently did not approve of that choice.

Some news stories have reported that Levi was suffering from ear infections, pneumonia, and eczema, which were untreated. However, the couple point out that the ear infections and pneumonia occurred AFTER Levi was taken from home, placed into foster care, and given formula. They chose to treat the eczema with natural remedies, such as calendula and coconut oil, and they were helping, Erica reports. They did not want to subject Levi to the risks of steroids, except as a last resort.

There have been allegations that Cleave is abusive to Erica, and Erica wants to put that rumor to rest. They are certainly passionate people, but that is not the same thing. Erica says that she was raised in a family with a flair for the dramatic, with an opera singer and actress in the household. Besides that, she reminds, life can get emotional with 3 children in less than a year.

“Cleave does not abuse me. We certainly have our share of disagreements, like all normal couples do. We are a young couple with three babies. But I am CERTAINLY not an abused wife.â€

Erica insists that Cleave is her best friend and that they are deeply in love. Others who know them have attested to this as well. Theirs is a romantic love story, she says, which happened after an intense time of prayer and seeking the Lord. They said their vows before God, and Levi was conceived that very night. They consider themselves married, even though the State has not sanctioned their marriage by issuing them a “marriage license.†they do not have a marriage license.

The Love of Parents for Their Children

They also deeply love their children. They want the very best for them, seeking holistic, natural remedies, breastfeeding, and giving them all the love they have to give. Erica tells us:

“When I am with my babies, that is when I am the happiest. We are good parents, and we take care of our kids the best way we possibly can.â€

Their hope and prayer is that the judge will see that love, and will see how CPS has traumatized an innocent family, causing the very harm that they are supposed to prevent.

Oh, yeah, I'm sure it's all just because CPS was reading a chart and not taking into account the unique circumstances of the kids' birth. Also, again - she was "she was working to build an adequate milk supply, supplementing as necessary" according to her. It could have been inadequate, in truth.

CPS can not have concerns about ear infections, etc., that lead to removal if those things only happened AFTER removal. Just sayin'. They also state that they were treating the eczema with natural remedies, so they're admitting that that was present before removal.

wtf? Having an opera singer and actress in your family and "I'm dramatic" now equals "I'm not being abused"? :doh:

I just can't with this pish posh.

[carebaer]

" Erica says that the charts that the babies’ weight has been judged by are based on single births, not twins, who are commonly smaller than their singleton counterparts at birth and as they grow in the first several months."

In addition to the other more obvious misinformation, this is also not true. Twins tend to be smaller at birth than singletons but once born they tend to grow at similar rates to singletons.

Twins do tend to be smaller for the first year or two but that's because they tend to be preemie and small. And babies who are small and/or early frequently don't catch up for a year or two.

Growth, however, refers to exactly that. Doctors don't look at weight, they look at growth. They also look at signs of malnutrition. If babies are growing and are proportional then no one gets concerned. Further, twins born at 36 weeks are typically over 5lbs. (My twin pregnancy book goes from 36 to 38 so don't have stats for 37weeks.) So if they were really of normal weights for 37 weeks they should have been over 5lbs. That would be the smaller end of a normal singleton so the babies should be within the normal range even if the lack of medical care meant doctors and other officials were looking more at current weight because they didn't have any previous weights from which to measure growth.

[JMarie]

Erica left a comment on an anti-vax page, so I wandered over to her FB page. The three kids still haven't been returned (and this happened last fall), and nobody is contributing to her fundraiser youcaring.com/the-rengos-383736#.VZbcES1JIDA.facebook

And, oh yeah, she's pregnant again.

[browncoatslytherin]

Erica left a comment on an anti-vax page, so I wandered over to her FB page. The three kids still haven't been returned (and this happened last fall), and nobody is contributing to her fundraiser youcaring.com/the-rengos-383736#.VZbcES1JIDA.facebook

And, oh yeah, she's pregnant again.

they still haven't been returned? damn. that means nothing has changed in the parents or their living situation to warrant returning them. and you can bet they'll be checking on the new kid to make sure they're being properly cared for as well. those poor kids.

[JMarie]

New baby is here.  The twins (now 13 months) and the other kid (turning 2 later this month) are  STILL in foster care.  Apparently Erica still doesn't have a job or a permanent place to live, and only three things on her baby registry have been bought.  But hey, she ditched the super-controlling boyfriend, who didn't seem to be present for the birth.