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Starved Kids: Congressional Hearing on Abuse Allegations
Aired November 06, 2003 - 14:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A congressional hearing this morning took a critical look at the case of those starved kids in New Jersey. Four adopted brothers were removed from their family after it was discovered that they were extremely malnourished.
CNN's Debra Feyerick has been keeping track of this story. She joins us live from New York.
What do you know -- Deb?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it was a very tense hearing at times. The family's pastor, Reverend Harry Thomas, fiercely defended the family he has known for 15 years. He says Raymond and Vanessa Jackson loved their children and that New Jersey's foster care agency, now vilifying the Jacksons, often called them in a pinch, asking them to take in foster kids.
Well, some of those kids have serious problems. The pastor saying even so, the Jacksons felt if they didn't take in the children no one else would.
Members of the House Subcommittee didn't buy that defense, slamming the pastor instead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARK FOLEY (R), FLORIDA: What type of training does somebody need, additional training to find these problems in these kids? Isn't there a doctor in your church that recognized the frailty of these young boys? I'm astonished. I'm astonished. People treat their pets better than New Jersey has treated their children in this instance.
HARRY THOMAS, FAMILY FRIEND: I'm just telling you these people are innocent, and I'm telling you that they had three meals a day. They ate like everyone else, and there are some serious difficulties with these children that have absolutely -- they have had to deal with. And they've had very little support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: New Jersey's foster care agency, the Division of Youth and Family Services, is being investigated by prosecutors.
The four boys who been in foster care were placed with the Jacksons, and then adopted. Their cases were closed and no one ever revisited the boys to see how they were doing. The family didn't even have to show any proof of ongoing medical or dental care to get the financial subsidies that they were receiving. All of this, of course, is now under review -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Deborah Feyerick live from New York, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired November 6, 2003 - 14:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A congressional hearing this morning took a critical look at the case of those starved kids in New Jersey. Four adopted brothers were removed from their family after it was discovered that they were extremely malnourished.
CNN's Debra Feyerick has been keeping track of this story. She joins us live from New York.
What do you know -- Deb?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it was a very tense hearing at times. The family's pastor, Reverend Harry Thomas, fiercely defended the family he has known for 15 years. He says Raymond and Vanessa Jackson loved their children and that New Jersey's foster care agency, now vilifying the Jacksons, often called them in a pinch, asking them to take in foster kids.
Well, some of those kids have serious problems. The pastor saying even so, the Jacksons felt if they didn't take in the children no one else would.
Members of the House Subcommittee didn't buy that defense, slamming the pastor instead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARK FOLEY (R), FLORIDA: What type of training does somebody need, additional training to find these problems in these kids? Isn't there a doctor in your church that recognized the frailty of these young boys? I'm astonished. I'm astonished. People treat their pets better than New Jersey has treated their children in this instance.
HARRY THOMAS, FAMILY FRIEND: I'm just telling you these people are innocent, and I'm telling you that they had three meals a day. They ate like everyone else, and there are some serious difficulties with these children that have absolutely -- they have had to deal with. And they've had very little support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: New Jersey's foster care agency, the Division of Youth and Family Services, is being investigated by prosecutors.
The four boys who been in foster care were placed with the Jacksons, and then adopted. Their cases were closed and no one ever revisited the boys to see how they were doing. The family didn't even have to show any proof of ongoing medical or dental care to get the financial subsidies that they were receiving. All of this, of course, is now under review -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Deborah Feyerick live from New York, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
