ACTIVE SEARCH SD - Serenity Dennard, 9, Children’s Home Society, Pennington County, 3 Feb 2019 #2

[human]

Actually, it can develop anytime during the first five years. There are instances of children developing RAD after lengthy hospital stays in older children.

Do you have links for that? I think it is called something else later.

 

[SkipperKey3]

One of my concerns is that she did in fact double back, and hid someplace nearby where she thought she'd be warm, and either wasn't as warm as she thought, or got stuck, or something, and was overlooked in the searching.

This occurred to me as well. In fact, according to what has been said, her past history was to just find a small spot to hide from staff in and stay put. So if she did that outside, close by, where she could hear them searching for her, it may initially have been like all the other times - with the only real goal to be to hide. If she followed that same method, she would have been somewhere very close, but well hidden.

 

[Scrapper18]

Do you have links for that? I think it is called something else later.

Here is a link with a simple overview of RAD: Reactive Attachment Disorder: The Facts

 

[mrbeansmom]

Do you have links for that? I think it is called something else later.

When we were foster parents years ago, Foster Cline came to speak to us at one of our support groups. He is kind of the grandfather of Reactive Attachment and, really, I believe the first one to start diagnosing it. Anyway, he told us of children who had been in the hospital, even when their parents were there much of the time, who developed RAD during the times they were separated. Because they were so young and didn't understand, and because most were having uncomfortable things done to them, with and without their parents being there, they developed walls for protection. This spoke to us, in particular, because our son had been hospitalized at age 3 for bacterial meningitis and almost died. He was in the hospital for two weeks having horrible things done to him. I was there pretty much the whole time, but I did leave for a few short trips home. I was so afraid of what that may have done to him, but he seemed to come through it all right. here's a few links I found:

"Reactive attachment disorder can start in infancy. There's little research on signs and symptoms of reactive attachment disorder beyond early childhood, and it remains uncertain whether it occurs in children older than 5 years."

Reactive attachment disorder - Symptoms and causes

"RAD arises from a failure to form normal attachments to primary caregivers in early childhood. Such a failure could result from severe early experiences of neglect, abuse, abrupt separation from caregivers between the ages of six months and three years, frequent change of caregivers, or a lack of caregiver responsiveness to a child's communicative efforts. "

Reactive attachment disorder - Wikipedia

"Symptoms must also appear after the developmental age of 9 months and before the child turns 5 years old. "

Reactive Attachment Disorder: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

 

[human]

Here is a link with a simple overview of RAD: Reactive Attachment Disorder: The Facts

From your article

Psychiatrists generally say that reactive attachment disorders cannot be caused by anything that happens before a child is five months old; if your baby is younger, he or she won’t be at risk. Many psychiatrists also believe that a child who has been loved by a parent or caregiver in its first three years builds up “immunity” to attachment disorder; as a result, children who have lost parents after age three may be traumatized and grief-stricken, but they will generally be able to heal.

It’s commonly assumed that only older children or internationally adopted children are at risk for RAD, but this is untrue. Any child who lacked individual attention between about six months and two years is at risk. If your child was in an orphanage with a high number of children to caregivers, or in a series of short-term foster placements, you should assume that RAD is a possibility.

 

[human]

When we were foster parents years ago, Foster Cline came to speak to us at one of our support groups. He is kind of the grandfather of Reactive Attachment and, really, I believe the first one to start diagnosing it. Anyway, he told us of children who had been in the hospital, even when their parents were there much of the time, who developed RAD during the times they were separated. Because they were so young and didn't understand, and because most were having uncomfortable things done to them, with and without their parents being there, they developed walls for protection. This spoke to us, in particular, because our son had been hospitalized at age 3 for bacterial meningitis and almost died. He was in the hospital for two weeks having horrible things done to him. I was there pretty much the whole time, but I did leave for a few short trips home. I was so afraid of what that may have done to him, but he seemed to come through it all right. here's a few links I found:

"Reactive attachment disorder can start in infancy. There's little research on signs and symptoms of reactive attachment disorder beyond early childhood, and it remains uncertain whether it occurs in children older than 5 years."

Reactive attachment disorder - Symptoms and causes

"RAD arises from a failure to form normal attachments to primary caregivers in early childhood. Such a failure could result from severe early experiences of neglect, abuse, abrupt separation from caregivers between the ages of six months and three years, frequent change of caregivers, or a lack of caregiver responsiveness to a child's communicative efforts. "

Reactive attachment disorder - Wikipedia

"Symptoms must also appear after the developmental age of 9 months and before the child turns 5 years old. "

Reactive Attachment Disorder: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

The symptoms are more easily identified in an older child, but the damage occurred earlier

 

[mrbeansmom]

From your article

Psychiatrists generally say that reactive attachment disorders cannot be caused by anything that happens before a child is five months old; if your baby is younger, he or she won’t be at risk. Many psychiatrists also believe that a child who has been loved by a parent or caregiver in its first three years builds up “immunity” to attachment disorder; as a result, children who have lost parents after age three may be traumatized and grief-stricken, but they will generally be able to heal.

It’s commonly assumed that only older children or internationally adopted children are at risk for RAD, but this is untrue. Any child who lacked individual attention between about six months and two years is at risk. If your child was in an orphanage with a high number of children to caregivers, or in a series of short-term foster placements, you should assume that RAD is a possibility.

One of mine was removed from the birth family at 5 months of age, after having been passed around from family member to friends to family and so on. Once in CPS care, this baby was moved 7 times between foster home and receiving home until we received the child at 12 months of age. We were the 8th placement in 7 months. Our child was doomed...

 

[mrbeansmom]

The symptoms are more easily identified in an older child, but the damage occurred earlier

In most cases, yes.

 

[human]

One of mine was removed from the birth family at 5 months of age, after having been passed around from family member to friends to family and so on. Once in CPS care, this baby was moved 7 times between foster home and receiving home until we received the child at 12 months of age. We were the 8th placement in 7 months. Our child was doomed...

I am hoping someday with advancements that the damage done can be undone,

With the brain scans and knowing which parts are affected, maybe someday......

 

[Stunned]

RAD happens because infants do not get their needs met. Their cries are not answered. It is a developmental stage.

You cannot get RAD later on in life.

Attachment happens in infancy

Yes I know that. But it seems as if her needs were continually not met. Thereby RAD worsening

 

[ilovechili]

Just checking on this little girl and any searches/news.

Great informative posts about RAD. I have learned a lot about something I knew little about.

Continued prayers for this child.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 15, 2019
Search for girl ongoing | Hill City Prevailer News

[...]

Kevin Thom, Pennington County sheriff, said the department often get asked for updates, so its goal is to put out additional information every week to 10 days.

“We don’t have a lot to report in terms of any significant updates other than we continue with what I call our two tracks,” Thom said Friday. “One is the investigative track. The other, of course, is the search track, or the recovery track at this point, if that is what it turns out to be.”

[...]

The FBI assisted the sheriff’s office two weeks ago with reviewing the case. The FBI has offered technical assistance on “one aspect of the investigation,” Thom said, and has been utilizing some of its resources when it comes to reviewing the file, leads, and offering suggestions.

Behind the scenes, Thom added, the sheriff’s office continues to plan and prepare for when the weather does break, and will do an extensive search similar to what was undertaken when Dennard first went missing, using K-9 units and ground searchers.

However, most of the snow to needs to be gone in order for them to do that, Thom said.

“Typically, this time of year we could be out searching, but the weather has not been conducive to that,” he said. “Once most, if not all, of the snow is gone we will then have a search organized.”

[...]

The Black Hills Children’s Society has been “excellent” to work with throughout the search, Thom said. There have been no intentionally misleading leads or false information during the search, Thom said.

[...]

 

[Trocroc9]

Just started following this case so am a bit behind. I just watched a you tube video in which Serenity’s adoptive mother spoke about her disappearance. It sounds like this poor baby was shuffled around quite a bit. She was placed in the residential facility by her adoptive father and the adoptive mother had no idea she was there (divorced). Adoptive mom thinks she was running to get back to her because staff had told her she had been talking about her lately. I’m not sure why the adoptive mother no longer was in contact with her or when the last time was she had seen her. Does anyone have that information and would like to share ? Also whose baby is that in the picture? Was that the adoptive father’s new baby ?

 

[human]

I don’t know why anyone would know about adoptive mother.

I imagine the adoptive father and new wife filled out the forms for putting Serenity into the center.

Is there a protocol for examining the records of parents?

How much contact did adoptive mom have with Serenity? Wasn’t she at the center for a year?

 

[PommyMommy]

Black Hills FOX News
A concerned Rapid City mother thinks there should be a mass alert that goes to people's phones when a child goes missing. She says if she knew about Serenity Dennard's situation on Sunday, she would have been on the lookout earlier. Do you think we need a separate alert system?

 

[carbuff]

Black Hills FOX News
A concerned Rapid City mother thinks there should be a mass alert that goes to people's phones when a child goes missing. She says if she knew about Serenity Dennard's situation on Sunday, she would have been on the lookout earlier. Do you think we need a separate alert system?

This sounds like a good idea. We had a small boy missing in our area a couple of years back who was found very cold and sick after several hours, but it turned out several people had seen him walking around but didn't realize he wasn't a neighbor kid walking home from a friend's house. A notice that there's a missing child might help.

 

[girlhasnoname]

Black Hills FOX News
A concerned Rapid City mother thinks there should be a mass alert that goes to people's phones when a child goes missing. She says if she knew about Serenity Dennard's situation on Sunday, she would have been on the lookout earlier. Do you think we need a separate alert system?

I think it's a great idea. We <collectively as a society> get texts and updates on the weather, sports news, political news etc. What harm would it do to alert a local area compared to the potential good? I know I'd be on the lookout if I received one.

 

[TwinMama]

I came in to check on Serenity and my heart was so sad to find her thread on Page 5.

It looks like the community is coming together to start their own searches now that the weather is improving. Fingers crossed that tomorrow will be the day for closure.

Community members start their own mission to find Serenity Dennard

 

[misgrn]

Just started following this case so am a bit behind. I just watched a you tube video in which Serenity’s adoptive mother spoke about her disappearance. It sounds like this poor baby was shuffled around quite a bit. She was placed in the residential facility by her adoptive father and the adoptive mother had no idea she was there (divorced). Adoptive mom thinks she was running to get back to her because staff had told her she had been talking about her lately. I’m not sure why the adoptive mother no longer was in contact with her or when the last time was she had seen her. Does anyone have that information and would like to share ? Also whose baby is that in the picture? Was that the adoptive father’s new baby ?

Serenity was placed by adoptive dad (CD) and his wife (KD). Adoptive mom (DG) didn't know Serenity had been placed there.

There have been some details given but none that can be shared here due to the sources with regards to why DG didn't remain in contact other than what DG shared in that interview. Lynne, the senator interviewing adoptive mom, also interviewed bio mom, RR, and bio cousin. Lynne's FB also has some info on there too that may give some insight. If I remember correctly, Serenity was adopted Oct 2014 (per interview). I believe CD and DG split sometime within a year of that based on that as of Sept 2015, CD and KD were posting pictures on FB together.

My understanding is that Serenity was placed at BHCH in Sept/Oct 2018 so DG had not had contact in with Serenity for at least that long. From the interview, it sounded like the communication between CD and DG had been lacking for a 2-3 years. She mentioned CD moved away and later moved back. So imo, it seems that DG had limited and not regular communication/visits with either of the 2 kids she adopted with CD. My understanding KD has been in CD's (and Serenity's) lives for 3+ years. Before CD and KD removed their FB's there was a photo shared on KD's page of Serenity, KD' daughter, and C (the boy CD and DG adopted) dated Sep 1, 2015.

Yes, the baby is adoptive Dad's and his wife's baby.

I don’t know why anyone would know about adoptive mother.

I imagine the adoptive father and new wife filled out the forms for putting Serenity into the center.

Is there a protocol for examining the records of parents?

How much contact did adoptive mom have with Serenity? Wasn’t she at the center for a year?

I answered the contact stuff above.

As far as protocol, in my experience, yes. We had pretty detailed custody and parental rights information on all our kids. Other info might be lacking but that stuff was not.

So I found that odd, especially after DG stated in the interviews she hadn't signed over an parental rights. Here are a few scenarios I thought of: CD didn't need DG's permission since he had physical custody (Idk if that is even a thing though since usually the non-custodial parent still is involved in medical decisions and such), CD didn't disclose it, BHCH assumed KD was mom (not good eirher, imo), there is some type of order restricting CD and DG's communication and/or DG's involvement with the kids, or it was just an error on someone's part. Another odd thing was though DG states in the interview that Serenity had been talking about her and that getting to DG was a possible reason for Serenity to run. So if that is factual, at least the residential staff knew DG existed and that KD who had visited Serenity was not her only "mom." I find it odd that no staff would have caught that DG wasn't listed anywhere and at least pointed it out to Serenity's therapist, but who knows.

 

[human]

Serenity was placed by adoptive dad (CD) and his wife (KD). Adoptive mom (DG) didn't know Serenity had been placed there.

There have been some details given but none that can be shared here due to the sources with regards to why DG didn't remain in contact other than what DG shared in that interview. Lynne, the senator interviewing adoptive mom, also interviewed bio mom, RR, and bio cousin. Lynne's FB also has some info on there too that may give some insight. If I remember correctly, Serenity was adopted Oct 2014 (per interview). I believe CD and DG split sometime within a year of that based on that as of Sept 2015, CD and KD were posting pictures on FB together.

My understanding is that Serenity was placed at BHCH in Sept/Oct 2018 so DG had not had contact in with Serenity for at least that long. From the interview, it sounded like the communication between CD and DG had been lacking for a 2-3 years. She mentioned CD moved away and later moved back. So imo, it seems that DG had limited and not regular communication/visits with either of the 2 kids she adopted with CD. My understanding KD has been in CD's (and Serenity's) lives for 3+ years. Before CD and KD removed their FB's there was a photo shared on KD's page of Serenity, KD' daughter, and C (the boy CD and DG adopted) dated Sep 1, 2015.

Yes, the baby is adoptive Dad's and his wife's baby.



I answered the contact stuff above.

As far as protocol, in my experience, yes. We had pretty detailed custody and parental rights information on all our kids. Other info might be lacking but that stuff was not.

So I found that odd, especially after DG stated in the interviews she hadn't signed over an parental rights. Here are a few scenarios I thought of: CD didn't need DG's permission since he had physical custody (Idk if that is even a thing though since usually the non-custodial parent still is involved in medical decisions and such), CD didn't disclose it, BHCH assumed KD was mom (not good eirher, imo), there is some type of order restricting CD and DG's communication and/or DG's involvement with the kids, or it was just an error on someone's part. Another odd thing was though DG states in the interview that Serenity had been talking about her and that getting to DG was a possible reason for Serenity to run. So if that is factual, at least the residential staff knew DG existed and that KD who had visited Serenity was not her only "mom." I find it odd that no staff would have caught that DG wasn't listed anywhere and at least pointed it out to Serenity's therapist, but who knows.

I think there would be limited staff as to whom is allowed to read records. Whoever did the intake would perhaps know the kegalities.

I doubt that talking about another mother would raise any alarms. I imagine many of the kids in that home have a complkcate family history