It’s been a long road since the "8 Passengers" channel flickered out and the police sirens started. If you’ve spent any time scrolling through true crime threads or the 8PassengersSnark subreddit, you know the obsession with the Franke family hasn't really died down. People aren't just being nosy. They’re genuinely worried. After the horrific details emerged from Jodi Hildebrandt’s Ivins home—the zip ties, the cayenne pepper, the starvation—the world wanted to know one thing: will these kids ever be okay?
Finding out where Ruby Franke’s kids are now in 2026 isn't as simple as checking an Instagram story. The family’s digital footprint, once a sprawling map of their daily lives, has been replaced by a much-needed wall of privacy.
The State of the Four Minor Children
For a while, the four youngest children—Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve—were in the custody of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS). That's a scary place for any kid to be, but it was the only way to keep them safe while the legal dust settled.
The most recent legal updates from early 2025 confirmed that Kevin Franke has been granted full custody of the minor children. This happened alongside the finalization of Ruby and Kevin's divorce in March 2025. According to court records and reports from KSL, Kevin was awarded the family’s $1.3 million home in Springville, Utah, where he has been working to rebuild a life for the kids.
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Basically, the kids are living with their dad.
Is it a perfect situation? Reddit users often debate Kevin's role in the years leading up to the arrest, but the court’s decision was clear. Prosecutors like Eric Clarke have mentioned in public updates that the children are "light-years better." They’ve put on weight. They are participating in activities. They are, for the first time in a long time, out of the "concentration camp-like" environment Ruby and Jodi created.
Shari and Chad: Life After 8 Passengers
The two oldest, Shari and Chad, are adults now. They’ve had to navigate a very public trauma while the internet watched.
Shari Franke has become something of a reluctant spokesperson for the victims of "momfluencer" culture. In January 2025, she released her memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom. It hit the shelves and immediately climbed the charts. She’s been doing the rounds on shows like Good Morning America, speaking about the years she spent cut off from her siblings.
Honestly, it's gut-wrenching to hear her talk about seeing her own reflection and being scared because she looks like Ruby. She’s currently living her own life, focusing on her education and advocating for Utah bills that would protect child influencers from financial exploitation.
Chad Franke has been a bit quieter, but he’s popped up on podcasts like The Squeeze to talk about his childhood. For those who remember the #FreeChad movement from years ago—when fans were worried about him being sent to a wilderness camp—seeing him as a healthy adult is a massive relief.
The No-Contact Order is Still Very Real
One detail people on Reddit constantly ask about is whether Ruby sees the kids. The answer is a hard no.
As part of the divorce decree and the criminal sentencing, Ruby Franke has a strict no-contact order with all six of her children. This includes the adults. While she sat in prison through 2025 and into 2026, she has had zero physical or digital access to them.
There is an "original hearing" with the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole scheduled for December 2026. This will be the first time the board officially looks at her timeline for release. Until then, she remains in the Utah State Correctional Facility. The kids, meanwhile, are protected by the law from any further influence from her or Jodi Hildebrandt.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Recovery
There’s a misconception that because they’re "safe" now, the trauma is over. It’s not.
Recovery from the kind of systematic psychological and physical abuse Jodi and Ruby inflicted takes decades, not months. Sources close to the family have noted that the younger kids have a lot of "de-programming" to do. They weren't just physically hurt; they were told they were "evil" and "possessed."
Reddit threads often speculate about whether the kids are back in school or if they’re still being homeschooled. While we don't have their specific school schedules (and frankly, we shouldn't), the focus has been on integrating them back into a normal, non-recorded life. No cameras. No "vlogmas." Just being kids.
How to Support the Cause (Without Being a Stalker)
If you care about what happens to the Franke kids, the best thing you can do isn't digging for their current address. It’s looking at the systemic issues that let this happen.
- Support Legislative Change: Look into the "Child Influencer" bills being proposed in various states. These aim to ensure kids who are featured in family vlogs get a share of the profits and have legal protections against overwork.
- Stop the "Snark" if it Crosses the Line: While it's tempting to track every move on Reddit, the kids deserve a life where they aren't being watched by millions of strangers anymore.
- Understand the Warning Signs: The Franke case was a wake-up call for many neighbors and teachers. If you see something that looks like extreme "discipline" or isolation, reporting it to local authorities can quite literally save a life, just like it did for the 12-year-old boy who escaped that window in Ivins.
The Franke children are currently in a period of intense healing. Kevin is the primary guardian of the minors, the adult children are finding their own voices, and Ruby remains behind bars with no way to reach them. It’s the closest thing to a "happy ending" this tragic story could probably have.
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To stay informed on the upcoming December 2026 parole hearing, you can monitor the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole public calendar. Additionally, reading Shari Franke’s memoir provides the most accurate, first-person account of the family's history without relying on tabloid speculation.