What would you do?

[Gunny]

I live in a small apartment, there are many families with several kids crammed into a space built for 2 at most. My next door neighbors, neither of whom work but get disability live with their two kids, a boy 11 and a girl 14. Girl is wild as the wind, right now she is not going to school, rarely home and right now noone knows where she is.

They have borrowed food, cigarettes and small amounts of money, no big deal but irritating to be woken up to get asked for something. 

Mom left last night sometime. The male is in a wheelchair but gets around okay. The 11 year old came over crying wanting to use my phone to call  his mother. Poor kid was a mess. Neither of the kids go to school. 

I detest Child Protective Services after having to get a lawyer to get mine back years ago when their mother abandoned them. That said, I am thinking of calling on this family. The boy is scared and that shouldn't happen to a child.

Call or not? I will decide in the next hour.

Rob

 

[Queen]

Adults can do whatever the hell they want to themselves and I don't interfere, but bring a child into the scenario and I am compelled to act.

 

[DuneElliot]

Call. CPS screws up a lot in some cases, yours sounding like one of them, but they are a Godsend in others. If you call at least you know you did something.

 

[LeeRevell]

That mother is quite simply unfit. Call. Protect the kids. CPS can suck, but better than what the kids are getting now.

 

[Gunny]

on hold now

 

[Gunny]

amazing, still on hold.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

PLEASE HANG UP!

 

[DannyB1954]

I remember when you had to go fetch up the teen girl. I would make the call. Let them determine if something needs to be done. The kids should be in school. I would stop subsidizing their income with cigarettes. Their addiction, their problem. I am pretty sure there is a food bank somewhere in your area.

Sounds like you need to move into your new trailer and find different neighbors.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Unless the kids are in danger CPS will make things worse!

Talk to Dad. I'm not a believer but maybe they belong to a church that can help them.

That man is disabled, with two kids and his partner just abandoned them.

Please don't simply throw them under a bus. Is the boy scared because he misses his mom or is he scared because he's being abused?

If you care enough to call CPS care enough to try something else first instead. I have several friends that have worked in legal services for abused and neglected children and may be able to offer some resources.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

For a bunch of free spirited antiestablishment anarchists (yeah, most of you are, just own it) you are all awful quick to see someone in terrible straights and the first response is send them in to the bowels of the system to be chewed up and spit out of one of the most corrupt and mismanaged social services in existence.

Is the child covered in lice? Are they starving? Are they sleeping on the street? Are they being physically or verbally abused?

Please ...

 

[Gunny]

What a total waste of time. After a brief skirmish with a counselor with an attitude and playing 50 questions (did I know their SS #'s) I was told they would look into it.

I have done my duty for God, Country and The Corps so I guess I'm done with it.

Rob

 

[Queen]

There are few avenues open when try to help the poor and disenfranchised, but you took a step, ant that's not nuthin.

 

[ccbreder]

In most states, the police are required to follow up a child-in-trouble complaint. You could get yourself in a world of hurt by getting involved in sketchy situations. So you don't trust the system? Them or you. Who goes down?

 

[Gunny]

I won't let them go hungry, I stockpile food so no sweat there. but I see nothing else to do. Thanks for the responses.

ZIZZER, CPS is a last resort I know but this has been going on awhile and a 14 year old MIA is worth a call.

Rob

 

[Gigi]

I feel you did the right thing.  I hate that you were treated with attitude and indifference.  My bacheelor's degree is in social work and while I didn't go into the CPS field I have called them as a mandated reporter.  I have seen more good come from calling than not.  I ve seen grandmas contacted to step in and take kids while parents get their lives together.  Ive seen kids adopted into new loving families and thrive.  But to do nothing on a child' s behalf could be worse.  Error on the side of safety and give CPS a chance to investigate and see what is going on.  Kudos to you.  I know that was a hard call! :heart:

 

[Gunny]

The mother told me (I have no clue if it's true) that the daughter was abused and that CPS had investigated. I do know a worker brought them some Christmas presents.

I don't understand the workers initial attitude with me but that got sorted out quickly.

Rob

 

[Gunny]

I remember when you had to go fetch up the teen girl. I would make the call. Let them determine if something needs to be done. The kids should be in school. I would stop subsidizing their income with cigarettes. Their addiction, their problem. I am pretty sure there is a food bank somewhere in your area.

Sounds like you need to move into your new trailer and find different neighbors.

Danny, truer words were never written.

Rob

 

[GotSmart]

I would have called.  

I have had terrible experiences with the CPS system here, because of ONE roug worker.  During my divorce from the children's mother, she (the worker) made some horrible charges about me.  My lawyer ended up calling in the local LEO departments to refute her charges.  I ended up with custody of my daughters from a female judge. Here in Red State Missouri, where 99.9% of cases go to the mother.

 

[Gunny]

The kid just called his aunt and asked her to bring them some food. I gave them enough for a couple of days if they cook. I'm not sure why they aren't using the house phone.

Anyway, thanks for the responses.. If anything comes of it I will post it but I suspect it won't.

Leaving the first or about then for my trailer and it can't happen soon enough.

Rob

 

[Thirsty Boots Nomad]

I would have called.  

I have had terrible experiences with the CPS system here, because of ONE roug worker.  During my divorce from the children's mother, she (the worker) made some horrible charges about me.  My lawyer ended up calling in the local LEO departments to refute her charges.  I ended up with custody of my daughters from a female judge. Here in Red State Missouri, where 99.9% of cases go to the mother.

CPS in Missouri is a huge joke.  They did not think there was anything "seriously wrong" with my ex-sister-in-law's treatment of my niece and nephew (even with multiple reports from several of their teachers and neighbors) until they were locked outside in their underwear in mid-January (5F + windchill) because their mother wanted a "Mommy break" so she told them to just find somewhere to stay for a few days.  That's when CPS decided they should let their grandmother (my mother) know they were even in the state (living 25 minutes away for the past decade); ... we thought they were still in Georgia.