Friday, May 08, 2009

More on Merrianne, Troubled "Visit" with strange family over.

She'll be home with family on Sunday.
The San Angelo Standard-Times - (Merrianne Jessop) will be released from foster care Sunday.

However, Court Appointed Special Advocates argued that the girl should stay in the custody of her San Antonio foster care family. She is the last of the children taken from the YFZ Ranch near Eldorado in April 2008 to be taken out of foster care.

CPS still will have regular visits with the girl and (Naomi) Carlisle. If all parties follow the safety plan laid out, then Carlisle will be granted full custody in September."
It's hard to say that there is a plan here, beyond getting Merrianne home. In a very small way it's a victory for Texas because it preserves the window dressing effect of claiming there was an "abused child." In addition, CPS can regularly visit (read SPY) on the FLDS and look for further "cause."
"During the hearing, CPS caseworker Ashley Kennedy said Jessop has been following all the guidelines in her visitations with the girl during the past two months. Before that, case workers had found text messages on an unauthorized cell phone and unauthorized letters Jessop passed to the girl during visits. Some of the notes seemed to direct the girl's behavior toward foster parents and the attorney.

However, there had been no issues since March 17, and the visits between the girl and Jessop had been going well, Kennedy said."
The press however, cannot resist falling for subtle state spin telling us that the visits between Barbara and her daughter had been "going well" as contrasted to previous visits. "Going well?" read that as Mom and Daughter may very well have been actively conspiring to mess up Texas plans for them and may well have succeeded. Merrianne was not having traumatic visits that upset her with her MOM, Merrianne was on a long visit with a family that deeply troubled and upset her. At some point they STOPPED bucking the system and either got their way partially as a result, or got their way and stopped bucking the system because they didn't need to anymore.
"The girl's attorney refused to answer questions after the trial but told the judge the girl told her she was "bursting at the seams" to live with Carlisle."
Clearly this is no "pro-mom because she's my mom" ambivalence. Merrianne wants to be with her mother. This is not an abused child that loves a flawed mother and chooses her because even children of abuse do that. There is no conflict here.


Sphere: Related Content

3 comments:

Silver Rose said...

You do realize that Merrianne is NOT going 'home' to her Mother, right? She is going to be living with an FLDS relative away from the ranch. Someone she knows and trusts, and that is a big plus over strangers!

I was a bit confused by your post because it sounds like you think Merrianne is going home to Barbara and the ranch.

If I'm mistaken, I apologize.

Hugh McBryde said...

To tell the truth, I wasn't exactly sure. I regarded "home" as being with the FLDS. I'm sure Barbara will have greater unrestricted access to her daughter. I knew that whatever the arrangement would be it wasn't Barbara living with Merrianne.

Carol said...

According to the SL Trib, Barbara will have "weekly in person visits and three telephone calls a week." Merrianne may visit with "Approved relatives." She is still considered as being in foster care and still in the clutches of CPS.
I am sure this is sad for Barbara to have restricted visits. but the joy of having her daughter with someone they trust and understands her and away from captivity, must make up for the limitations.
When we see the words, Merrianne is going home, those who are interested in this case, feel she is going home, although it is a home away from home as living with strangers could never be.
If this doesn't make sense, too early for my thoughts to be clear.