After Surviving Their Mother's Abuse, Where Are Ruby Franke's Kids Now?

It's true that Ruby Franke was once an industry-leading influencer in the world of MomTok. People tuned in to her parenting page for anecdotes about her daily life, tips and advice, and content that exemplified the budding influencer era of parenting online.

Yet all was not as it seemed. In 2023, Ruby's 12-year-old son appeared at a neighbor's front door, terrified and emaciated.

After police investigated, they found that Ruby and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt had been abusing Ruby's six children. They were removed from the home, and Ruby was arrested. She later pleaded guilty to four aggravated counts of child abuse and will serve somewhere between four and 30 years in prison.

So where are her kids now now that their mom is behind bars? Here's what we know.

Ruby is serving time in prison, so what are the kids up to? Aside from what is likely a boatload of therapy and healing, the kids are currently still in child protective services and being taken care of by a professional team hoping to help them overcome the trauma their mother subjected them to.

The four children who are still under the age of 18 are still the subject of an ongoing investigation in juvenile court Provo, Utah. The two adult children are doing well, and Shari Franke even recently released a book detailing her life in her mother's home. Then earlier this year, Washington County, Idaho, District Attorney Eric Clarke spoke with NewsNation, updating the world on the kids' welfare.

He stated that the children are improving, adding, "We’re really careful in how much we talk about the kids." The D.A. concluded, "But I think people should know that the kids have put on weight. They’re interacting, happy and healthy. It’s not like they’re great, but they’re light-years better. And thank heavens for that.”

As the children heal, there is one person fighting for custody of them: their father.

Kevin Franke, father of Ruby's six children, is a figure that many find puzzling. Now that the mother of his children is in prison, he's fighting for custody of his minor children.

Yet some have wondered where he was while the abuse was going on. And the answer to that seems to be that he simply wasn't in the house. Kevin left in 2022 and claims that the abuse escalated after he left the home. Evidence seems to corroborate his claims, as the worst of the abuse was reportedly perpetrated through late 2022 and early 2023.

The state, however, is moving slowly and making sure that they have the children's best interests at heart. And with good reason. The child protective system has come under scrutiny for failing to protect the Franke kids after multiple people say they warned officials of the children's living conditions before her 12-year-old fled to get help.

For now, the kids will continue receiving supportive services and therapy as Kevin works to prove that he's an adequate and safe guardian for his children. Ruby will likely remain behind bars for some time yet.