I suppose so. I seesaw on this.
There are two possibilities - either they're dead and she murdered them in some capacity, because a mother wouldn't fail to report their murders otherwise, or they're alive and she's not caring for them. The second possibility seems so absurd, that children would just disappear and the parent behave in the way she is, in every respect as if they don't exist. I suppose the only upside I can see is that the state can't be accused of going in heavy handed and assuming the worst and laying the highest charges, so she is being given the benefit of the doubt by this route. The prosecutor does have that argument available - if the state can't establish life is she arguing the appropriate charges would be murder?
It doesn't seem to force the issue of life though, and if she stays silent and accepts a prison term, it a/ makes murder even more likely and b/ seems to be an inversion of justice for the children, whereas if she were charged with murder she at least gets to prove they are alive to defend herself, can't claim an injustice, and it does seem to align more with the circumstantial evidence.
I have to wonder if the prosecutor accepting the delays requested by the defense sees it as more time to get a robust murder case together.
MOO