Zabeth and Paul visit their three children on two afternoons each week. All three children are now in the same foster home. On those two afternoons, Paul and Zabeth have three hours in which to hug and love and play and pray and read and tell stories to their children. The children have not been permitted to be with their own parents in their own family home for twenty-seven months.
Mommy and Daddy take occasional photos of their family visits. During the other 162 hours of each week, those photos are the only physical evidence they have that their children exist. Some of their pictures make them laugh. Some show the family cuddling. Sometimes the photos simply cause Zabeth and Paul to pause and grasp the reality that so much time has slipped away. Tears come when comparing current shots with some pre-crisis photos. Little Bethany is a toddler now. She was six weeks old when the Ministry of Children and Family Development took her. She was a newborn. Zabeth was nursing her.
A court case that will decide whether this separation becomes permanent or whether the children are returned to Paul and Zabeth is presently active. The first series of court days were January 12-14. Court sessions have been scheduled throughout February allowing for breaks. The next series of Court Days are scheduled for February 2-5 at the Chilliwack Court House. The public is permitted to attend.
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