She was the toughest kid I ever had, but when she finally came through and I realized I could take her to our homeschool co-op, she was just like a normal kid. Meal 6: sushi or Thai (pad thai ususally) Additional work: 12-20 min of stepmill following every workout but legs. And throughout their childhood,police had documented sexual abuse in their home,which experts say can be a strong signal for potential predators. 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. Menu Log In Sign Up Select this result to view Justin Harris's phone number, address, and more. Marsha Harris was friends with a woman named Stacey Francis, and Justin Harris believed Francis and her husband, Eric, would be a perfect solution to a seemingly intractable problem. Since 2013, he has represented District 81, which includes parts of Washington and Crawford counties. Justin Harris and his wife have three biological sons and were adopting for the first time with the two girls. In March 2011 the Harts received a phone call from the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) asking if they would take in a 9-month-old baby girl. Mary and Annie stayed in the Harris home for no more than 14 months (not two years, as Harris said at the Friday press conference). Kyra Guthrie, a Fayetteville resident and friend of the Harts, sometimes provided respite care for the foster family. Arkansas State Rep Justin Harris and his wife Marsha adopted two girls in 2013, but eventually gave them up when the elder child became violent and threatening View gallery The Harris family. The story first . Now, Im really good with kids with sexual trauma. They are a beautiful example to us of Gods amazing grace and the power of love to heal the broken heart. "Exorcisms and telepathy are not part of the Harrises' religious practice. See Photos. 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. Casting out #demons: why Justin Harris got rid of kids he applied pressure to adopt http://t.co/UuTjiG5FsI pic.twitter.com/WGCVUDi0l6. DHS was still trying to go after me, and when they talked about terminating my [parental] rights, I said, I dont have any rights. 'I don't care if I lose my position. But the source told the Times that Blucker was made aware that the girls had been rehomed days before the call was received by the hotline. 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.. I knew [Jeannette] wouldnt last five minutes there., But Justin Harris now says he and Marsha were pressured to take Jeannette against their wishes. Justin Harris told 20/20 that "We're not sleepin'. The Harrises deny those claims. Justin and Marsha Harris both hold degrees in child development and run a Christian day care center called, Growing God's Kingdom. The problem was simple hubris. 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. Its evil, he told the Times. — -- 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. Imperial Court of Buffalo, +6 more Alfred State. I knew the two girls for over a year and spent many hours with them, Guthrie told theTimes. "When the adoption/rehoming scandal broke, Harris held a press conference as reported by the Arkansas Times. I turned them over to these people, Young said. [She] heard about us through the church on Dickson Street [in Fayetteville] where they gave free meals. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The oldest daughter would be placed for a six-month trial period in the Harris home in June and the other sisters would be transitioned into the home in September in another six-month trial period. Taking toys away for long periods of time thats just the wrong thing, a nave idea, Jensen 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? This is hypocrisy at its highest level. West Fork, Arkansas, is represented in state government by Republican Rep. Justin Harris. After one of the two younger girls crushed a family pet to death, Harris said, he and his wife were advised by a therapist, a psychiatrist and a pediatrician to remove the children from the Harris home. He took the death threat so seriously, he said, that he, his wife and their three sons barricaded themselves in a separate room at night for safety. Justin Harris and Dani LaMartina are guests on this episode of Dave Tate's Table Talk to discuss training, recovery, and diet in lifting. That is when they decided to give the girls to the Francis family, and at that point began sending all stipends they received to them. I don't care what the people of Arkansas think about me. Over the years, the Harts have opened their home to close to 70 foster children. My husband was so worried of any allegations that he wouldnt go down the hall to her room. Many of the online posts say the unwanted children have physical or mental disabilities. Its really upsetting.. 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. 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. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. Given the abuse the kids had endured while entrusted to her care, Young believed that it was unlikely a judge would return her children. They were adopted, so theyre going to want TLC.. The evaluation covers the latest 5 years and an approximation for next year. 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. 3. Justin Harris and his wife adopted three girls and later 're-homed' them. In summer 2012, a judge approved the triple adoption. But the girls foster parents said they didnt experience those kinds of issues with the girls. They just were in denial the whole time about how troubled these girls were. 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. About us - Harris Residential. Wallis left DHS in fall 2012. "We care deeply for the girls but we were failed by DHS," Harris said at a news conference last week. Since they have been home with us, they have adjusted beautifully and are thriving in our home with unconditional love and patience. Rep. Eddie Armstrong released a statement on behalf of the House Democrats in the state, saying: 'First, our thoughts and prayers are with this little girl and other children that may have been exposed to injury as a consequence of this practice. CC image courtesy of Flickr, Ivailo Djilianov.. HA note: The following is reprinted with permission from Libby Anne's blog Love Joy Feminism.It was originally published on Patheos on March 17, 2015. Harris also claimed that another of the girls 'crushed a family pet to death', further convincing them to get rid of their recently-adopted charges. The two foster families themselves strongly objected to the Harris adoption, whether done privately or through the system. But typically, those cases should involve family services officials and a judge who makes the final decision about custody of the child, Lestino said. Now its safe for them to show all the disturbance that has been hidden, Jensen said. 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. 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. Former Arkansas State Rep. Justin Harris and his wife, Marsha, had always been eager to expand their family of three young sons. He was told by many people in DHS, These are not the kids you want to just jump into. Thats why Im angry. We had wanted to adopt from the very beginning. It was during that interview that police learned the 6-year-old had been the victim of sexual abuse. As she points out, these families are not vetted in the same way an agency would vet other potential parents. Justin Harris suggested he used his influence to obtain the three girls during the adoption hearing, according to Cheryl Hart. The neighbor kids liked her. Period. The lawmaker also said DHS misled him about severe behavioral issues with the girls. A series of stories by the Arkansas Times revealedthat Harris a day-care owner, a vociferous defender of his Christian faith and a prominent figurein the states Republican Party put two young girls he adopted in the care of a man who later sexually abused one of them. That is why, in 2011, Young approached the Harrises and asked them to adopt her daughters, then in foster care. The whole way through, we thought everything was perfect. "To give your children away, whether they're your biological children or adoptedI never thought that would be legal anywhere," Wallis told 20/20. They genuinely had a commitment, I think, but it wasnt near as easy as they thought that it was going to be. She loved to dress up., Craig Hart objected strongly to Harris implication that the girls were dangerous. 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. But we also know this for sure: There is nothing more traumatic for a child than losing their birth parents. 'Rep. They were very delightful, fun, energetic never an ounce of threat from them. Im a Christian, and I have these beliefs, but this was completely beyond anything Ive ever seen or heard about., Goldsborough said the reason the family removed Marys toys was because a demon told [Mary] not to share. The story went public in March 2015. Id watch her from a camera. For unknown reasons, Mary and Annie left the Francis home in early 2014 to live with yet another family, where they remain today. In November, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Harrises made the boys sleep in their bedroom and away from the girls. I knew how foster homes are some are good, some not. And then, she found the Harrises. 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. Harris, who has three biological sons, said the eldest girl, who was eight, said she would 'kill everyone in the family'. 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. Here bass player Justin Harris is seen live on stage. Due to the sensitivity of our daughters story, and out of respect for them, we are asking the public for privacy during this time., (Jeannette was eventually adopted by a therapeutic foster family and is said to be doing well. We got the little one first; Im pretty sure it was the first weekend of March 2011, Cheryl Hart said. *This story has been updated since it was originally published. I was shocked they seemed to have that mentality that they could fix these girls in a short amount of time and have a big happy family.. Boy who killed his father's pregnant fiancee when he was 11 Arkansas Democratic Party Chair Vince Insalaco's Statement Regarding Republican Rep. 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Justin Harris releases statement about 'rehoming' d - KATV - Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports, A child left unprotected | Cover Stories | Arkansas news, politics, opinion, restaurants, music, movies and art, 'Re-homed' by legislator, girl, 6, sexually assaulted. There are times when families are unable to cope with the challenges of caring for children adopted through the foster system. ABC4 Newscasts; ABC4 Live Events; Video Center; Podcasts JUSTIN@HARRISRESIDENTIAL.CO.UK. With 15 years fostering some 70 children, the Harts were veterans at living with tough kids. Equally as painful is being promised a family that you will never have to say goodbye to and then losing them. 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. Sign Up. This incident was reported to the child abuse hotline and the children were interviewed.'. The teen claimed she would watch the girls for a few hours every day after school for several months -- a length of time disputed by the Harrises. And about a month later, the infant's 2-year-old sister was also placed with the couple. The Harrises are devout Southern Baptists. This is not the norm in adoption; most families do well, saidMegan Lestinoof theNational Council for Adoption. Goldsborough said she would watch Mary on a monitor linked to a camera in her room, but usually only entered the room to provide food or water. I'll be very clear about that. 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. , 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. With attachment comes a sense of security; without it, a child may experience a heightened wariness of his or her environment, become withdrawn, and be unable to respond to attempts at comfort. DHS cant comment on specific cases, but when theTimespreviouslyasked DHS spokesperson Amy Webb whether senior agency officials at the state level ever override the recommendations of a local adoption team, she said, Im sure thats possible thats happened. Marsha was showing me these really beautiful pictures of these rooms that they had supposedly set up for the girls, Young recalled. Despite the legal evidence, Harris at first refuse to confirm the link, then quoted a passage from the Bible. RM 2E6B9B6 - Justin Harris (R) is escorted into the Cobb county Magistrate court house in Marietta, Georgia July 3, 2014. We tried to sort of put all our cards on the table and say why this was a bad idea, Cheryl Hart said. 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. By then, the 4-year old girl Harris had adopted and then given away was 6. Eric Francis is serving 40 years in prison on charges of raping the child the Harrises rehomed and sexually assaulting other children. Eventually she also testified in court against the Harris adoption. Justin Harris. The Times had reported on the third sister before the press conference, held Friday afternoon in the old Supreme Court chambers in the state Capitol. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. 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. 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. . That summer, the adoption case went before 4th Circuit Juvenile Court Judge Stacy Zimmerman in Washington County. They are both strong and they are both very bold and very courageous and very creative. Although the Francises also already had three children, just as the Harrises did, if Justin Harris worried that the girls might harm the Francises . Francis also had no criminal history, Rep. Harris claimed in that interview. Includes Address (7) Phone (4) Email (2) See Results. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. And the Harts said they weren't the only ones who opposed the adoption. Discover short videos related to justin harris on TikTok. In the group Reuters analyzed, more than half were described as having some sort of special need. But recently,Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida and Louisiana havepassed laws addressing the practice. 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. Justin and Marsha Harris always evinced a keen, sincere interest in helping vulnerable kids. We just always kept that in our mind, Harris said. For the most part, Harris peers in the legislature are keeping quiet about the controversy, but the public at large is paying attention to the story. Play it now! 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. The Harts reject Harris claim that the family didnt want the oldest child. View Justin Harris's business profile as Assistant Vice President & Regional Manager, Underwriting, Southeast Region at PURE Insurance. 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. 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.'. Affani. This is hypocrisy at its highest level. They thrived in our home," said Cheryl Hart, who briefly cared for the children with her husband, Craig Hart. She mistrusted DHS and disliked the foster system. Accordingthe Arkansas Times,people who knew the family, including a former babysitter, say that the Harrises kept the 4-year-old locked in a room and monitored her with cameras because they believed she was possessed by demons. Copyright IBTimes 2023. 100g carbs. The girls remained with the Francises until February or March of 2014 a month or two after Francis stopped working at the Harrises daycare. 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. . It was hard. They felt like we had an ulterior motive to wanting these children in the first place.. Friday afternoon, Rep. 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