First reports: 2 children should be returned to Rettews

Br DIANE NORMAN

Middle Tyger Bureau Editor

GREENVILLE — The Rettew family could shrink substantially, if the Family Court adopts the recommendations of assistant guardians appointed to represent the children.

Reports on eight children have not yet been made public, but at present, guardians are recommending the return of only two children to Bill and Debbie Rettew.

A Rettew family spokesman, however. says the conclusions in those reports are misleading.

Debbie Rettew‘s adult son, Will Beddingfield of Clemmons, N.C., said a court-appointed in-home therapy team will decide who returns to the Rettew home, not the guardians.

"It's a process, and it will takea little bit of time," Beddingfield said. But the family expects that eventually most of the 15 children removed in November will retum, he said.

The assistant guardians’ reports, Beddingfield said, have been influenced by reports submitted by the original guardian. Eric Graben.

Graban's report, Beddingfield said, "was not accurate at all."

The Rettews agreed in a consent order approved Monday that a three-member therapy team will design a course of treatment for the family.

The Rettews will name five counselors they believe can properly work within their conservative Christian values, and the state Department of

Social Services and Graben will narrow the field to three.

The three-member panel must he in place by Friday. In the consent order. the Rettews also acknowledged physical and educatlonal neglect of the children.

And the order finds that Bill Rettew used excessive corporal punishment, constituting a threat of physical abuse.

Beddingfield said he couldn't comment on whether his parents agreed to those findings to move the Family ourt case forward.

He did say that he has insisted since the case began that the abuse and neglect allegations were unfounded.

"If those were true. none of these children would be coming home. and my parents would be in jail," Beddingfield said.

The 15 children. along with two others who returned to biological parents in August, have been evaluated in five groups by assistant guardians ad litem.

Three guardian reports have been submitted to the court and released to news media. Two additional reports will be forthcoming.

In a report submitted last week. guardian Susan C. Bailey recommended that one of three boys removed from the home return as soon as possible.

Reports submitted Monday by guardian Lydia Kellett and co-guardians William and Beverly Davis recommend that one severely disabled child. who has been adopted by the Rettews. return to their care.

In their summary. the Davises say the Rettews‘ motives in caring for children were very honest. "but over the years, the size of the family and the

demands made upon them as caregivers for this large group of mostly special needs children become overwhelming. both physically and emotionally

Kellett‘s report is more critical. The Rettews, she wrote, "seemed to be very set in their ways and methods and not open to suggestions,  opinions, counseling.

"They declined evaluation or therapy because they felt it wouldn't work. They stated that not many people outside of their family would  understand the special needs of their children.

"I believe they are committed to their ‘mission’ and the church but not to the well-being of the children, " Kellett concludes.

'Two girls that Kellett represents talked about having too much responsibility for other children in the Rettew home.

One child says she does not want to return to the Renews.

The other says she would return only if she could have a bath every day. medical services. no baby-sitting and enrollment in public school. the

report says.

The latter girl told the guardian she was a surrogate mother. waking at 5 a.m. to feed and clothe other children.

She said the children got one bath a week. and she had to stay in the younger children's room until they were asleep.

Kellett says the child reported. "Both of the Rettews treated them differently in front of outsiders than they did when they were only with their family."

The three-member panel is scheduled to submit its evaluation of the family March 15. just prior to a 30-day hearing before Judge Amy Sutherland.