Arkansas State Rep. Justin Harris and his wife held a press conference to address the fallout related to his adoption of three young girls. Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. I know that the Harrises talk a lot about Christianity, but were Christians. 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. ABC4 Newscasts; ABC4 Live Events; Video Center; Podcasts About 18 percent were said to have a history that included sexual or physical abuse. No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you, he added, quoting a Bible verse. The girls had been taken into DHS custody in early 2011 after suffering through a staggering sequence of chaos and abuse. But it was not just DHS. Why would anyone go to the trouble of adopting a child and then give the child away?'. He said he thought hed found the perfect solution in handing the girls over to Stacey Francis, a longtime friend of his wifes, and her husband, Eric Cameron Francis. 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. So she called us out of the blue, the mom, and said Will you take my three 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. It was hard. The reason: The Harrises believed the girls were possessed by demons and could communicate telepathically, Goldsborough said. Its really upsetting.. Resides in Ottawa, KS. Justin Harris. The Harrises made the boys sleep in their bedroom and away from the girls. The lawyer had not responded to a long list of other questions from the Times by midday Tuesday. Something somewhere along the line got them out of hand with their own children., The unnamed source close to the Harrises felt torn about speaking up. We [started fostering] because of our Christianity. The lawmaker did not reveal at the time the child Francis raped was Harris own. Find Justin Harris's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. She just felt tired all the time, and she went in [to the doctor] and they found something and she said, I just dont know if I can handle all this. . RM 2E6B9B6 - Justin Harris (R) is escorted into the Cobb county Magistrate court house in Marietta, Georgia July 3, 2014. — -- An adoption controversy in Fayetteville, Ark., has ignited a debate over the controversial practice of "re-homing" and caring for adopted children that have been abused. Everyone testifying before the judge had stipulations, like To be followed up, To continue their therapy at Childrens House, but nobody would say, We really dont think this is a good idea. The Harts believe Bluckers influence made the adoption happen. Thats something I didnt want for my girls. In most conversations with us, [Harris] would mention Ceciles name. 3. Sometimes the girl acted out violently. As a legislator, Harris knew Blucker personally and has some influence over her budget. To allow a child with RAD to emotionally attach to her new caregivers requires a focus on positive reinforcement; any punishment must be kept gentle, Jensen said. This story will refer to the three girls taken in by the Harrises by pseudonyms: We will call the oldest sister Jeannette, the middle sister Mary and the youngest sister Annie. This "was not the type of home we were lookin' for it wasn't appropriate for these girls to be in a home with three boys," Wallis told 20/20. I knew how foster homes are some are good, some not. And then, she found the Harrises. Cooper Harris (left) with his dad, Justin Ross Harris. The incident happened while his wife was away for two weeks on a trip to Pennsylvania. And there were no tears. At this point, we againreached out to DHS for help, and then we werethreatened with possible abandonment charges and potentially losing our own boys, Harris said. "When the adoption/rehoming scandal broke, Harris held a press conference as reported by the Arkansas Times. The second best result is Justin Harris age 20s in Dayton, OH in the Fairlane neighborhood. By then, the 4-year old girl Harris had adopted and then given away was 6. Harris denied those accusations. 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. View Justin Harris's business profile as Assistant Vice President & Regional Manager, Underwriting, Southeast Region at PURE Insurance. The evaluation covers the latest 5 years and an approximation for next year. See above to learn how much money does Justin Harris makes a year. On. Hutchinson and Speaker Gillam will agree that Harris's resignation is necessary. The story first surfaced in April 2013. We are aware of the very public conversation going on about events pertaining to our daughters, they said in an email to the Times. 'This is a continuation of an alarming pattern that continues with several Arkansas legislators. Therapeutic foster parents are trained to deal with the intense demands of traumatized children and nudge them toward healing and bonding with intentional, careful steps. Shed get overexcited or scared, and wed come back out and shed calm down with me. I turned them over to these people, Young said. But the Harrises explained that they were both early childhood educators, ran and operated a preschool and had experience working in therapeutic daycare centers. For one of those girls, however, Arkansas Rep. Justin Harriss house came to represent something very different: a temporary stopping point on the way to some place much, much worse. The Harts also said the adoption was allowed to proceed despite their objections because of the direct intervention of Cecile Blucker, head of the Division of Children and Family Services, the arm of DHS responsible for child welfare. How exactly things could go so wrong for the girlsonce they were placed in the care of the Harris family is a study in failure at all levels. Chelsey Goldsborough was a baby sitter for Justin and Marsha Harris. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Culture dates back to Germany during the era of Hitler and his shenanigans, where grandmother became pregnant and moved to Canada. "We met a bunch of different families, and we found the parents we absolutely loved," Justin, who came out as gay to his family before his junior . Cyber Monday: Save big on the Creative Cloud All Apps plan for individuals through 2 Dec. She was a kid that needed an experienced family, the mother explained. The foster kids are cominginto the foster system because they have been abused or neglected. And about a month later, the infant's 2-year-old sister was also placed with the couple. The friend went on to sexually assault one. Such descriptions could serve as a beacon for predators. The neighbor kids liked her. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Justin Harris and could vary in the range between $556.5K - $1.6M. Scandal: After it was revealed the couple gave away the girls, their lawyer released a statement saying, 'Rep. They got therapy every day play therapy, occupational therapy, anger management.. Justin and Marsha Harris bought into this concept, and adopted because they wanted a family of five. Cheryl Hart also remembers Justin Harris often mentioning the name of DCFS director Blucker, the person ultimately in charge of adoption and foster care for the state of Arkansas. West Fork, Arkansas, is represented in state government by Republican Rep. Justin Harris. The two foster families themselves strongly objected to the Harris adoption, whether done privately or through the system. Asa Hutchinson has ordered a review of the agencys practices regarding adoption. The sisters were supposed to be moving out of neglect and chaos and into the stability of their forever home. 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. On Tuesday, shortly before this story went to print, Harris sharpened his accusations, telling KTHV-TV, Channel 11, that Blucker the states top official for child welfare knew he gave the girls to another family and did not report it. They are fighters.". This incident was reported to the child abuse hotline and the children were interviewed.'. She had been assigned their case while the girls were still living with the Harts. Harris also placed some of the blame on officials in the Arkansas Department of Human Services, whom he said misled them as to the abuse suffered by the girls. They repeatedly told us they had degrees in early childhood development, they had therapists there at their preschool, and they had God to help them through this. Three separate bills have now been filed in the legislature to prohibit rehoming, and the governor is supporting such legislation. The Harts said that a local team working on the adoption including themselves, [Department of Health Services]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. In fact, a past DHS employee at the time came to us and confirmed that the plan at DHS was to seek abandonment charges if we returned the girls.". The former DHS employee confirmed this account. The failed adoptions that we have seen are parents who think they can love their child into being good, the therapist said. ABC News "20/20" has declined to name the biological mother and the three girls out of respect for their privacy. The Harrises sent Mary and Annie to live with the Francises in October 2013, just a year after they had taken them into custody. And the three little girls finally found their forever homes. Years ago, no states had explicitprohibitions against rehoming. We kept a loving Christian home for them to be a part of it. Justin Harris is the owner of the customized training and performance nutrition company Troponin Nutrition. Justin Harris. Francis also had no criminal history, Rep. Harris claimed in that interview. The story went public in March 2015. and Mrs. Harris have suffered a severe injustice. We choose to forgive the Harrises and hope they will truly follow Christ in humility and repentance for the mistakes they made in our daughters lives. [She] heard about us through the church on Dickson Street [in Fayetteville] where they gave free meals. Over the years, Craig and Cheryl Hart have opened their home to close to 70 foster children. Thats part of the process you want. They were adopted, so theyre going to want TLC.. Chelsey Goldsborough, who regularly babysat for the Harrises, said Mary was kept isolated from Annie and from the rest of the family. But things quickly took a turn for the worse as the middle child, also diagnosed with RAD, began to act out despite regular therapy sessions, the Harrises said. We do not do exorcism. Meal 6: sushi or Thai (pad thai ususally) Additional work: 12-20 min of stepmill following every workout but legs. Affani. But I knew they had talked about it, they were going to rehome them, she said. The idea that someone could use the foster care system to treat their adopted children like basketballs, tossing them from family to family is horrible. They say Blucker exerted pressure on the Washington County DHS office on behalf of Justin Harris to facilitate the adoption. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Imperial Court of Buffalo, +6 more Alfred State. Rancher, 73, is charged with murder on his Arizona land after shooting dead Mexican, 48, who had history of illegal crossings into US and multiple deportations: Judge refuses to reduce $1M bail despite plea his wife is alone, Getting his Minnie's worth! Now ages 7 and 5, the girls' adoptive parents tell "20/20" that after a year of adjusting the sisters are excelling in their studies, taking swim lessons and enjoying ballet and gymnastics classes. And I just said, 'God, I can't do it anymore.' We believe that if Arkansas families were aware of this; they would be as appalled as well. Now, Im really good with kids with sexual trauma. They loved each other. 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. Cheryl Hart also vividly remembers the roundtable meeting described by Harris, which she said occurred on Valentines Day 2012. I do have compassion for parents in the throes of dealing with this. We took all of the kids we had to church and Sunday school. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The Times reported that Cecile Blucker, the head of DHS' Division of Children and Family Services, "exerted pressure on the Washington County DHS office on behalf of Justin Harris to . Our friends, our neighbors, our church we can get as many character witnesses as you want for those girls, he said. Primary Menu. Greg Leding has filed legislation which would make this practice of rehoming adopted children a felony, and we urge the legislature to pass this legislation in order to protect our most vulnerable citizens - our children in foster care.'. Not surprisingly, Harris chose to stay quiet about his role in placing the victim in the Francis home until a reporter from the Arkansas Times connected the dots. Later, at an emotional press conference, Harris placed the blame squarely on the state health services department, which, he said, refused to help when he and his wife struggled with the girls they had adopted. They are both strong and they are both very bold and very courageous and very creative. Rep. Harris also said in that interview with Arkansas Onlinethat Francis and his wife had three adopted children that they obtained internationally, and that he trusted them as they had passed those background checks. I think its crazy. But the girls foster parents said they didnt experience those kinds of issues with the girls. He saw it as, Im with God. 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. Now imagine that happening three different times. As a dad, it was fight or flight, Harris toldKTHV in an interview. This is not the norm in adoption; most families do well, saidMegan Lestinoof theNational Council for Adoption. Luke Solomon. But recently,Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida and Louisiana havepassed laws addressing the practice. And in court, Cheryl Hart recalled, something strange happened: Everyone on the DHS team that had previously opposed the adoption changed their recommendations. Casting out #demons: why Justin Harris got rid of kids he applied pressure to adopt http://t.co/UuTjiG5FsI pic.twitter.com/WGCVUDi0l6. He did not specify what kind of pet it was, nor whether the three-year-old or the six-year-old was responsible. Harris Residential, 35 Swain Street, Watchet, Somerset, TA23 0AE Harris Residential South West Ltd. Company Reg No: 11190218. I figured this was my winning battle. See Photos. She called Justin and Marsha Harris to take her daughters. But even that can be treated.. Justin is related to Janon L White . Rep. and Mrs. Harris are devastated about the outcome of that decision, but faced with no good option, they did the best that they knew how.'. Since 2009 . "If they were violent [in the Harris home], they were taught violence. Young then became involved with a man who cooked and sold methamphetamine; a fire started by his meth lab provoked a police investigation that sent that man, too, to prison. Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, asks a question Friday in the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs. But around March 2013, he and his wife formally adopted the girls two younger sisters, according to the Arkansas Times. Theyre just normal little girls. 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. Despite the legal evidence, Harris at first refuse to confirm the link, then quoted a passage from the Bible. And though the two youngest girls had never given the Harts any severe problems, they did not believe the younger sisters should be placed in a home with any young children because of the abuse they had suffered in the past. We tried to sort of put all our cards on the table and say why this was a bad idea, Cheryl Hart said. 'We're just one radio call away from having the biggest aviation disaster in history': After ANOTHER almost catastrophic near miss at a US airport, just how can Americans trust their plane journey will be safe? As she points out, these families are not vetted in the same way an agency would vet other potential parents. In fact, a past DHS employee at the time came to us and confirmed that the plan at DHS was to seek abandonment charges if we returned the girls.. They felt like we had an ulterior motive to wanting these children in the first place.. She lashed out at her brothers, threatened to kill people with knives and even crushed the family guinea pig to death. DHS ultimately placed the child into a hospital after just a few months of living with the family, and the Harrises did not proceed with the planned adoption. So you think of the typical labels these kids get, like Oh, theyre a sociopath, but when I asked her what she was doing she said, I was trying to get him to kill me, so I could go to heaven. It wasnt about controlling an animal she was so sad about everything that happened to her, she really wanted to die.. 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. 2009. He said one of the girls the implication was the middle sister had to be medicated to stop hurting her sister, and that he was advised by therapists to treat her RAD by removing toys and other belongings from her room. LIVE. The Harrises deny those claims. Harris said he was only interested in taking the two youngest girls, but was pressured by DHS into taking all three. In reality, when they are doing it in these illegal ways, whatit is is child abandonment and neglect, Lestino said. 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. Shortly after the oldest girl arrived, the Harrises said she began to display disturbing behaviors. I felt it was better. Goldsborough also alleged the family would keep the middle child isolated in her bedroom for long periods of time and blast Christian music at her doorway to help keep away demons. 'No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you,' he told the reporter. Rep. Justin Harris adopted two girls in 2013 but gave them away to a colleague, Eric Francis, after six months, who then raped one of the girls Francis was convicted of sex crimes in 2014 and.
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