My 33 - CBS4.com

The biological mother accused of helping her two children escape from foster care this week says she did not help them escape, but her children were in distress and in fear of their safety when she took them into her home.

Elaine Diaz, does admit to years of domestic violence and alcohol abuse in her household--the reason why she voluntarily gave up custody of her two children--but this weekend those two children went missing from a church daycare, where the foster parents had dropped them off. However, accusations aired Tuesday that she had aided in their escape, she says are not true.

Miami-Dade Juvenile Court Judge Cindy Lederman on Tuesday explained how two children in foster care who went missing over the weekend and later found by DCF told a story of their biological mother taking them. 

The judge said, "The children the story told us is much more interesting than an earlier story; it involves the mother picking them up." 

Joshua Diaz admitted it was his mother that picked he and his sister Cinnamon up from a daycare center  on Sunday, and hid when police went looking for them. Diaz says that's not the case. According to her, the children called her on Monday to tell her they had ran away and wanted to be with her. That is when she picked them up.

"I'm not going to deny that, because they got scared," said Diaz. "Cinnamon was begging me not to turn them in, and they hid on their own. I took the detective into the room holding the detectives hand, shut my bedroom door, and told her to come out of the closet. And you can ask the detective that."

Miami-Dade police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta told CBS4 Ileana Varela that the mother confessed about taking the children.

According to the state, the mother  lost custody of her children because of drug abuse and neglect.

But she says her children were scared and she was just trying to protect them.

"This is why I signed and surrendered and gave my rights up, to give my children a better life," said Diaz. "I didn't expect all this to happen. My parental rights weren't terminated; I surrendered. And this is what is happening, they're going through more trauma."

Cinnamon and Joshua were in the playground at Northwest Miami-Dade Weekend Day Care Center when they were reported missing. Cinnamon is 12 years-old and Joshua is 7.

The babysitting service is run by the church next door, Genuine Love Ministries, in the area of NW 183rd Street and 48th Avenue. The care center is led by Pastor Charles Thompson, who despite what happened, insists the center provided a secure and safe environment.