MOTHER OF 13 AGREES TO GIVE UP CHILDREN

Four Born Addicted To Cocaine; Most Suffer Emotionally

PONTIAC -- A mother of 13 children, including a baby who died two weeks
after birth and four others who tested positive for cocaine at birth, gave
up her parental rights to her nine youngest children Thursday.

Rochelle Pennex, 33, wept as she told Oakland Probate Court referee Joseph
Racey that she wanted to terminate her parental rights to her children, who
range in age from 23 months to 14 years old and live in foster care.

"Out of love and concern for her children, she will not contest the
petition to terminate her rights," Pennex's attorney Douglas Otlewski said.

The courts have had custody of Pennex's nine children since they were
removed from her Pontiac home in March 2000.

Deborah Carley, juvenile justice division chief for the Oakland County
Prosecutor's Office, said all the children, except the youngest, suffer
from behavioral problems. Some have exhibited aggressive defiant behavior,
academic delay, limited emotional behavioral display and speech problems,
she said. Four are on medication for health or behavioral problems and
several are in special education in school.

Pennex has only visited the children three times, and she hasn't seen them
since February of this year, Carley said. She also hasn't taken part in
mandated parenting classes or drug screening.

"It's very clear the opinion of the (psychological) examiner is that is is
detrimental for the children to see their mother," Carley said.

In June, Pennex received $500 from the California-based group Children
Requiring a Caring Kommunity, or CRACK, after undergoing a tubal ligation
to prevent her from having more children.

Volunteers from the group traveled to Pontiac to find Pennex after she gave
birth in April to Zaria, her 13th child. The baby died two weeks later
after being taken off life support.

Prosecutors allege both mother and child had cocaine in their systems at
the time of the birth. Criminal charges could be filed against Pennex
pending the final results of the baby's autopsy.

Racey also terminated the parental rights of the children's father, Keith
B. Foster, who said he loved his children despite a continuing cocaine
dependency and an inability to provide adequate care and a home for all of
them.

Foster said he completed 12 weeks of parenting classes and had regular
visits with his children while they were in foster care. Foster admitted to
using cocaine twice a month and said he guesses that about half of his
children had been born addicted to cocaine but he wasn't certain.

"While termination is a tragedy ... this court cannot find any substantial
reason that it would be adverse to terminate the father's right," Racey said.

All the children will remain in foster care and be put up for adoption.