Benjamin-Stanley

Benjamin Stanley

UPDATE 3/18/2015

4-stanley-children-come-home

4 of the 7 Stanley Children come home. Image from Bringthestanleykidshome Facebook Page.

 

UPDATE 3/17/2015

Four Stanley Children to Return Home Immediately

From Michelle Stanley:

Today we had what is called a mediation meeting. That is a meeting where
licensed mediators mediate between all the parties involved to try to
come to a mutual agreement that resolves the issues in a way that is
satisfying to all parties. It was estimated that it would take about 3
hours but instead it took nine hours of waiting, discussing, breaking for
lunch, then mediating, and finally in the last 20 minutes an agreement was
made. The court house had to lock up or it would have gone longer.

Because of the paper everyone had to sign before the meeting stating that
everything mentioned during mediation was confidential, we can not give
the details as to what all went on. However the result of the mediation
is that the 4 youngest children will come home tomorrow on a 60 day home
trial basis and the older 3 children will come home on the weekends and
spring break (which happens to be next week.) We will still have the
adjudication hearing on the 23rd but the dynamics of it will be different
since we have reached an agreement today.

That is all we can say for today but we will share more later as we learn
what we can share since the meeting did not close as it should have (with
a discussion as to what everyone would be allowed to say) due to the fact
we ran out of time. We are thrilled that any children are being allowed
to come home because it was our understanding that if no agreement was
made then the chances of them coming home later would be slim do to the
powers we are up against.

So we praise God for the prayers that were answered and ask everyone to
continue to pray as this is still not over. The transition will be hard
due to the 2 months of exposure and influence on our children. But we
know that by God’s grace his loving mercies are new every day and we can
take it one day at a time. We love you all and again thank each and
everyone of you for your love and support and prayers. It has born fruit
and we give God all the glory for this wonderful victory.

Love,
Michelle

Health Impact News Editor Comments

It has been about 50 days now since a military-style SWAT team arrived at the home of the Stanley family in Arkansas, and removed all seven home-schooled children from the home. The parents have been charged with no crime, let alone been convicted of any wrong doing, and yet the children still remain separated from them, placed in foster care, as the State of Arkansas continues to collect federal funding for each child that has been placed into the foster care system.

Read the last update on the Stanley family that Medical Kidnap published here: 7 Children Kidnapped by State of Arkansas from Homeschool Family to Remain in State Custody

Hal Stanley, the father of the children and Baptist minister who has been required by the State to attend “parenting classes,” shared this letter written by a 19 year old girl who prays every day for his children held in captivity.

Has anyone tried to imagine the Stanley’s story through the eyes of 4 year old Benjamin­?

by Rebekah Polder

Picture this: His yard has more cars and trucks in it then he has ever seen before. Armed Sheriffs and CPS workers come into his home, searching through his things, his parent’s things, the kitchen, the dining room, looking into drawers and closets… what are they doing? He doesn’t know.

Removing-Stanley-child

Benjamin being taken from his home by force. Photo courtesy KARK4.

He’s never seen anyone do this before. These people are blowing to pieces every bit of security he has ever known. They’re asking him and his sibling’s strange questions as they go on with their strange search. He couldn’t possibly understand what’s transpiring in his home.

After hours of this torture he is told that he will be taken away by these obviously unkind intruders. In her distress, his mommy tries to comfort him… but he is ripped from her arms… he doesn’t want to leave with these people so he’s thrown over the shoulder of one of these mean strangers and toted out to an unfamiliar vehicle.

He is driven to a place he has never seen before. Strangers are all around him telling him what to do.

Where is mommy and daddy? He is sat at an unfamiliar table and given food that he is probably too upset and confused to eat. Where are the rest of his brothers and sisters? They’re not all here. Did some of them get to stay home with mommy and daddy? Why? Don’t they want to take care of him anymore? Maybe they love them better. But why? He’s a good little boy too! Why are all of these things happening?

All of his mixed-up questions go unanswered. He probably cries himself to sleep… only to dream the whole nightmare over again… Mean strangers coming into his home and going through his things, being ripped from his crying mommy’s arms, being thrown over the big Sheriff’s shoulder and being taken away to a strange place. Waking up, he needs to be reassured of his security by mommy and daddy. Where are they?

There are only strangers around to try and comfort him in his despair. He is forced to try to adjust to this hard, unnatural lifestyle. He’s encouraged to call one of the strangers of the house “Dad”. But wait, he already has a “Daddy” at home. He has two daddies now? He never had before. He is so confused… He begs to go home but is refused.

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A supervised visit after the children were removed from the home. Benjamin is sitting on his daddy’s lap.

Later on he gets to “visit” with mommy and daddy in a strange place. They aren’t allowed to talk about all of the horrible things that happened on the 12th of January. Why? It was scary and he wants to know why it all happened. When the visit is over he is all the more confused. Why can’t he go home with mommy and daddy? Can they at least come back with him?

He is refused once again. But why? He needs his parents. Why is he not allowed to stay with the people that have always loved and taken such good care of him? None of this mixed-up situation makes sense to him…

Benjamin and his siblings are still not back home with their parents. It has been 49 days since he was taken away from his happy home. He only gets to “visit” with his mommy and daddy twice a week! He has only gotten to go back to his home a couple times since the big ordeal. He still cannot contemplate what has happened over the last month and a half… He should and needs to be back with his parents and the government won’t allow him to go home.

The Stanleys haven’t been charged with any crimes, because there are no crimes to be found.

“When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.” Psalm 9:3-4

Rebekah Polder

Source: Bringthestanleykidshome Facebook Page

Please continue to stand with the Stanleys. We must make our voices heard. Please contact your pastors, family members, friends, neighbors, homeschool groups, attorneys and judges. We all need to stand up for what is right and get the word out about what is happening in our country. The Stanleys can’t stand up alone. We have a responsibility as their brothers and sisters in Christ to bear their burdens and to take up their cause!

Please contact everyone you can about this ongoing, massive injustice against two American parents and their children: friends, business associates, media, government officials at all levels —from the Governor of Arkansas to Arkansas State Representatives and Senators to DHS to the Juvenile Court of Garland County, Arkansas. This is America and We the People have to stick together!

The DHS address is: 115 Stover Ln. Hot Springs, Ar. 71913
Call DHS: 501-321-2583
DIRECTOR DHS ARKANSAS (501) 682-8650

Garland County Sheriff’s Department at 501-622-3690 or email Sheriff Mike McCormick directly at mmccormick@garlandcounty.org.

FOLLOWING IS A LINK TO DIRECTLY CONTACT GOVERNOR ASA HUTCHINSON:
http://governor.arkansas.gov/contact-info
The above link will allow you to send an email directly to the governor’s office.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE:
JOHN VINES In Session Phone: 501-682-6211
Out of Session Phone: 501-682-7771
TWITTER: @ArkansasHouse

See Also:

Attorney Emord States that Arkansas Seizure of Stanley Kids is an Extraordinary Abuse of State Power

Does the State Ever Have a “Right” to Remove Children from a Home?