The Visitations with the family
The parents were allowed supervised visitations at either of the custodians' homes, where the visits took place within earshot and eyesight of the supervisors.
During these visits, the family could spend time with their children, gradually continuing to build a bond with them, both together and separately.
While the parents could visit together, the paternal family decided that visits could only take place as a family unit. This meant the parents could not visit their children separately. However, the family allowed other relatives—such as aunts, uncles, and grandparents—to visit on Sundays.
Outside of the court-ordered visitations, the siblings did not see each other, even though they lived within two miles of each other.
They were only able to connect when the parents brought it up in court, addressed it to the Cabinet, or communicated via text message.
Denial of Sibling Bond
The custodians, who were family members, did not acknowledge the children as siblings. Instead, they referred to them as "friends". They would say, "Your friend is here to visit," or "Your friend is here to visit." This terminology further distanced the children from their true bond as siblings.