After initiating a private adoption, we were informed in a meeting with DHS, CASA, the attorney ad litem, and Ozark Guidance that we could not adopt the two children unless we also took their older sibling., Harris contradicted himself in the KARK interview later that same evening, stating that Sarah Young asked him, Will you take my three girls? and we said, Yes, we will take your three girls. . All Rights Reserved. She had been assigned their case while the girls were still living with the Harts. And here was a stable family with a successful business, the father a state representative, seeking new children. They said the whole time in court they wanted all three, and thats why they were chosen [to adopt] They fell on their knees when they were told they could take her., As for the transfer itself, Craig Hart said, It was not the process normally followed when we had kids go into an adoption situation the court said there should be a transitioning period between us and them, and we saw them only once after they moved in [with the Harrises]. The scrutiny-free practice of rehoming opens the door to children becoming victims once again. "Despite what you may have read, we reached out to DHS numerous times and were met with nothing but hostility. We've been battling powerful forces for 48 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. She lashed out at her brothers, threatened to kill people with knives and even crushed the family guinea pig to death. Fired GMA host buys $650 David Yurman promise ring and slips it on Tiffany chain ahead of Amy Robach's 50th, as pals say they're 'more in love than ever', White House claims Americans are in a 'better position' under Biden and his economic plan is working - despite poll saying a record number think they are WORSE off in the last two years, Just 37% of Democrats want Biden to run in 2024 - and 62% of Americans think he's done 'little or nothing', damning new polls reveal: Voters are concerned by his gaffes and COUGHING. 2009. See Photos. Justin Harris. We love them deeply and are committed to do everything we can to help them live healthy, happy lives. I care what my wife thinks about me, and I care what my three sons think about me.'. 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. Arkansas state legislator Rep. Justin Harris gave his adopted daughters away because he and his wife thought they were possessed by demons, according to a report in the Arkansas Times. All I wanted to do was to make sure my girls were safe and in a good home, you know? They are both extremely protective toward each other and love each other with all their hearts. In November, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Play it now! They are precious, precious, amazing girls, and we are so blessed to have them.'. Despite the legal evidence, Harris at first refuse to confirm the link, then quoted a passage from the Bible. Without significant support and education, parents grow to dread and then hate their child. This is hypocrisy at its highest level. Male adoptee born on Aug 17, 1982 in Orlando, Florida Adoption record added Today at 12:55pm Female adoptee born on Jan 3, 1983 in Yakima, Washington Adoption record added Today at 9:41am Male adoptee born on Jan 1988 in Tulsa, Oklahoma Adoption record added Today at 9:31am Harris put a 6-year-old girl he adopted in the. That family could not be reached by the Times. As of Tuesday, a Change.org petition calling for Harris resignation had garnered 5,000 signatures. One of the many people who contacted the Times after the original story broke was a therapist who works with children with reactive attachment disorder and who is familiar with DHS. The Arkansas Supreme Court today dismissed a lawsuit against the state brought by Justin Harris, the former Republican state representative from West Fork best known for a tragically botched. The incident happened while his wife was away for two weeks on a trip to Pennsylvania. Over the years, Craig and Cheryl Hart have opened their home to close to 70 foster children. Justin Ross Harris, who prosecutors said intentionally left his 22-month-old son strapped inside a hot car to die because he wanted to live a child-free life, sits in Cobb County Magistrate Court . 'This is a continuation of an alarming pattern that continues with several Arkansas legislators. They think their family is different. 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. They get desperate. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. And about a month later, the infant's 2-year-old sister was also placed with the couple. Reuters An Arkansas state legislator who sent his adopted daughters to live at the home of a former. The couple, whom the Harrises had known since Marsha and Stacey had been classmates, and the couple seemed like the perfect fit. Republican Justin Harris, who gave away his two adopted daughters, aged three and five, to a man who later sexually abused one of them, is facing calls to resign State representative Justin. They thrived in our home," said Cheryl Hart, who briefly cared for the children with her husband, Craig Hart. Thats part of the process you want. Benji Hardy is a contributing editor to the Arkansas Times and a reporter for the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network. 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 . She was a kid that needed an experienced family, the mother explained. The reason: The Harrises believed the girls were possessed by demons and could communicate telepathically, Goldsborough said. We checked on them, took them to the doctor.. 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. By then, the 4-year old girl Harris had adopted and then given away was 6. View Justin Harris's business profile as Assistant Vice President & Regional Manager, Underwriting, Southeast Region at PURE Insurance. It is not OK, but I understand. The former DHS employee confirmed this account. Harris face was getting all red, Cheryl Hart added. They followed the techniques in a book called 'When Love Is Not Enough: A Parent's Guide to Reactive Attachment Disorder,' by Nancy Thomas, who is a recognized expert on therapeutic parenting techniques, said Jennifer Wells, the couples attorney. 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.'. Justin Harris. This is God's plan. She was often confined for hours to her room, where she was monitored by a video camera. Harris publicly announced on social media that the adoption had been finalized on March 6, 2013. 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. This couple, the girls fourth set of parents in two and a half years, has now legally adopted them. And also, theyre both small children for their age. Here was a young, desperate mother pleading for help, seeking a home for her three little lost girls. Chelsey Goldsborough, who regularly babysat for the Harrises, said Mary was kept isolated from Annie and from the rest of the family. Justin Harris told 20/20, "We are Southern Baptist. The story went public in March 2015. JUSTIN@HARRISRESIDENTIAL.CO.UK. 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.. We started through our church. Im not trying to devastate them but people should know what theyve done to these poor little girls. I asked them point blank, Why would you put your sons through that? Because [Jeannette] at the time was aggressive thats how she learned to get things in her life. I never signed any parental rights away to DHS. Harris Residential, 35 Swain Street, Watchet, Somerset, TA23 0AE Harris Residential South West Ltd. Company Reg No: 11190218. This story of Arkansas state legislator Justin Harris' adoption debacle has been a classic, slow-moving trainwreck, as the Arkansas press discovers disturbing new details on a near-daily basis. So, they decided to place the child for adoption. Furthermore, Marsha Harris had been abused in the past, which she said would help her deal with the two older girls' special needs. 01643 703559. Three separate bills have now been filed in the legislature to prohibit rehoming, and the governor is supporting such legislation. Harris, however, has been engulfed in scandal this week - as it only just emerged that he had legally adopted the girls - a fact he neglected to mention when publicly commenting on the rape when it first came to light. He did not specify what kind of pet it was, nor whether the three-year-old or the six-year-old was responsible. He was told by many people in DHS, These are not the kids you want to just jump into. Thats why Im angry. But typically, those cases should involve family services officials and a judge who makes the final decision about custody of the child, Lestino said. Because of my behavior, my problems. You have no idea what my family has been through. She called Justin and Marsha Harris to take her daughters. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. But recently,Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida and Louisiana havepassed laws addressing the practice. Now, what has happened in the last 24 hours that everyones recommendation has changed?. For this reason, parents that may be abusive or predatory can still manage to get custody of children through re-homing. The source said demons were an obsession with Marsha Harris. He also said the younger sisters, ages 4 and 2 when they entered the Harris home, were violent. Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, asks a question Friday in the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs. He also mentioned Cecile Bluckers name, but this time not in a congenial context. They have also lived in Cedar Hill, MO and High Ridge, MO. In the group Reuters analyzed, more than half were described as having some sort of special need. Harris spoke for the first time of a third, older sister that he said DHS made him adopt before he could take the younger sisters into his home. In the KARK interview, Justin Harris noted that he and his future wife met at Childrens House. Kyra Guthrie, a Fayetteville resident and friend of the Harts, sometimes provided respite care for the foster family. Because adoption proceedings are so closed, it is nearly impossible for Blucker or DHS as a whole to refute Harris statements that the agency (or individuals within it) provided insufficient support, threatened him and ultimately turned a blind eye to the rehoming. While some individuals from West Fork had nothing but harsh words for the Harrises, both Chelsey Goldsborough and the source close to the Harrises said they took no joy in speaking out against the couple. She called Justin and Marsha Harris to take her daughters. We just always kept that in our mind, Harris said. LIVE. My husband was so worried of any allegations that he wouldnt go down the hall to her room. I hold DHS accountable And Im not sorry for doing it, he declared. But Dr. Peter Jensen, acting director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said that did not sound like an appropriate therapy for RAD. She stated that Francis had raped her genital area to help her go to sleep, a claim he did not deny. Eric Francis is serving 40 years in prison on charges of raping the child the Harrises rehomed and sexually assaulting other children. Goldsborough, who is now a college student in Bentonville, said she would stay at the Harris house for three to four hours after school many days during the spring semester of her senior year of high school. . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? View Justin Harris results in Kentucky (KY) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. A source familiar with DHS indicated that there may be at least some truth to that claim. 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. Justin Todd Harris(born August 25, 1975)[1]is the owner and operator of Growing Gods Kingdom, a preschool in West Fork in Washington County in northwestern Arkansas. Rep. Justin Harris blames DHS for the fallout related to his adoption of three young girls, but sources familiar with the situation contradict his story and paint a troubling picture of the adoption process and the girls' time in the Harris household. 10g EAAs. The separate source close to the Harrises reported seeing a video that Marsha Harris said showed a demon interacting with one of the girls. We took all of the kids we had to church and Sunday school. While the Harts did not have the older sister in their home, they had been in touch with girl's then-foster parents and knew she was a troubled child. An extensiveReuters and NBC News reportin 2013laid out the series of events that often plays out online, where parents use message boards and Facebook groups to find new families for their unwanted adopted children: Faced with the allegations before they were published by the Arkansas Times, Harris first became defensive. Attachment to a mother or father figure is a deep, biological need and necessary for normal social development, Jensen said. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. The three sisters taken in by Justin and Marsha Harris had already lived with atoxic mixture of neglect and abuse. The ex-wife of a Georgia dad on . Feeling they had run out of options, the Harrises decided to re-home their children -- a legal loophole that allows adoptive parents to hand over kids to another willing family -- to Eric and Stacey Francis, with the intention that the Francises would eventually adopt them. Justin Harris and his wife adopted three girls and later 're-homed' them. Casting out demons: why Justin Harris got rid of kids he applied pressure to adopt "Rep. Justin Harris blames DHS for the fallout related to his adoption of three young girls, but sources familiar with the situation contradict his story and paint a troubling picture of the adoption process and the girls' time in the Harris household." Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. Asked about the death of the guinea pig, Wells, the Harrises lawyer, said via email, A family pet, which was a guinea pig, was crushed to death by one of the children. Harris put a 6-year-old girl he adopted in the care of a man who later sexually abused her. We've done all this counselin'. The Georgia Supreme Court has overturned the 2016 murder conviction of Justin Ross Harris, who had been found guilty of intentionally . (Other sources claim Young waited for days to turn the husband over to the police.) 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. 'I don't care if I lose my position. See who the key figures are in this strange story. The friend went on to sexually assault one. 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. . 6-year-old girl adopted by Justin and Marsha Harris was re-homed, together with her 3-year-old sister, six months after the adoption was finalized. Donna Ames On March 5, Benjamin Hardy of the Arkansas Times published an explosive investigation about how State Representative Justin Harris . ABC4 Newscasts; ABC4 Live Events; Video Center; Podcasts Posts about Justin Harris written by HA Editorial Team. She mistrusted DHS and disliked the foster system. He also offered another explanation in an interview with Arkansas Onlinesaying: 'When our adoption became final, we went to the court, the whole family, exchanged teddy bears and everything - and it was like a light bulb suddenly flipped on for the girls. Shortly after the oldest girl arrived, the Harrises said she began to display disturbing behaviors. When Justin Harris and his wife adopted 2 little girls from the foster system, they were making a commitment to protect them and provide the stability of a family. Id take her to parks and she wouldnt run off or act all crazy or beat other children to death she was just another kid.. Now imagine that happening three different times. In fact, because of the repeated sexual abuse she had suffered at such a young age, she had begun to exhibit predatory behaviors. We had wanted to adopt from the very beginning. A lawyer for the Harrises, Jennifer Wells, denied to the Arkansas Times that exorcisms and telepathy are part of the couples beliefs. Months later, the Francises transferred the girls to yet another family. 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. I think everything happens for a reason, so I feel like I was there for a reason, she said. Due to threats of possible abandonment charges, they were unable to reach out to DHS for help with children who presented a serious risk of harm to other children in their home,' the statement read. Scandal: After it was revealed the couple gave away the girls, their lawyer released a statement saying, 'Rep. It is an overall forecast for the net worth of Justin Harris. See Photos. About Justin Harris. In some ways I did break the rules and give [Mary] attention. Its just I dont know. Jan Wallis is an adoption specialist at the Arkansas Department of Health Services (DHS). First, the children. 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. 3. We care deeply for the girls but we were failed by DHS, Harris said at his press conference. 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