A Moscow mother who lost custody of her son and daughter says state authorities want her to take the family dog, but they still refuse to return her children.

What is more, Lee Ann Franks contends Idaho officials are placing the children with the parents of the stepfather, who's now in prison for sexually abusing the teenage daughter.She continues to challenge whether the state has ever had authority to dictate the curriculum of her home-schooling the children. She lost custody about 18 months ago.

She already has spent more than a month in jail after refusing a court order to disclose the whereabouts of her children. When they finally were found, she was released but the children were placed in state custody.

She received a letter last week from Pat Werlinger of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The children were being moved Friday to Kent, Wash., with a foster mother.

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"Since you have stated to me you will not allow me or anyone from the department to see where you are living, I do not see how I can place the children with you at this time," the letter said.

Franks said she is living with friends in Moscow and the state knows where the house is located.

Werlinger told her her grade-school-age son cannot bring his dog to Kent, so she was requested to take it.

"They'll give me the dog, but not the kids," she said.

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