On John Ford & Tamara Mitchell-Ford

(Photo: WREG)

Local news never seems to lose its fascination with the John and Tamara saga. With Tamara in jail for at least a few more months and possibly more than a year, and with John starting his five-plus year stint in just two months, the media are now wondering what will happen to their four kids -- and the two by John's girlfriend.


WREG's Mike Matthews has a "jailhouse interview" with Tamara. She evinces an 'it will all work out' attitude. WMC's Janice Broach takes a more Oprah-esque approach but she does give the viewer some important information:

Mitchell-Ford is behind bars on DUI charges. She said she fears her children will become wards of the state when her ex-husband John Ford reports to prison.

"I fear Children's Services may get involved," she said.

Mitchell-Ford said her ex-husband's girlfriend, who has two children with John Ford, is now living in Mitchell-Ford's house with her and John's four children.

"She's been caring for the children," Mitchell-Ford said. "It's an interesting turn of events that I have to embrace this thing now and understand it. She's really the only hope that I have right now."

That home is being taken from them this weekend, so a new residence will have to be found. Also, in court Ford had to admit he was at best a part-time father and not live-in.

Will the children be passed on to friends or family, as happened before in a previous jail stay by Tamara? Or will Children's Services take them directly?

This is an opportunity to explore what happens in cases where the custodial parent (or parents) go to jail. What does happen to the kids? Are the Fords getting any kind of special treatment or is this about par for the course? How are the foster parents chosen? How do the children fare in foster care? What factors come into play in choosing what to do?

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