Are these things reportable to the child protective services?

Question

I believe all of these things are reportable but i want to make sure.

-sleeping while the 2 and 5 year old kids run around the house with no one else there(but the sleeping person)

-leaving glasses of wine in the children's room (where the children can reach)

-Leaving a bottle of liquor in the living room on the floor by the table (where the children can get it)

-not eating breakfast until 11am when the children wake up at 7am(lying in bed watching TV for those 4 hours)

-Leaving tools(hammers, screwdrivers,etc) around the house where the children can get to them.

-neglecting to change the 2 year old's diaper for LONG periods of time

thank you in advance!

Answer 1

you can report anything. but i would report these things, bc the people taking care of the children sound lazy and no child should have easy acess to alcoholic beverages and any diaper needs to be changed constantly. if their drunk and all, then i would. maybe then that person will fix up the lives of the children and themselves.

Answer 2

You can report anything you want, if anything is done about it is another story.

Answer 3

I had a friend who had kids these ages and would be be sleeping off a hangover while the kids ran around unsupervised. Her little boy took a lighter into the closet and ended up setting the house on fire. They lost everything but thankfully everyone made it out alive.

Answer 4

Yes you can report those things to child protective services.  It does sound like the parent has a problem but that is no excuse to ignore your children.  

I would report it.

Answer 5

if you feel in your  heart that they need reporting then do it i have done it over my niece didn't get me anywhere and she still lives with her mum who is unfit tried my best but people just don't listen some times good luck

Answer 6

Personally I would not report this.  I believe CPS is designed for protecting kids that are in imminent danger.  Where what you are reporting is not the choice of responsible parents, CPS would do an investigation.  During an investigation things would be put where they belong, and the sleeping thing would be hard to prove unless the parent admitted it.  I think that it is very sad that so many people are willing to report things that lets face it not that bad, and meanwhile CPS is swamped with all these bogus reports and kids are DYING.  It always makes the news.  The recent one about Danyeal Kelly, or the Jackson's from PA back in 2003 where the 19 yr. old foster boy weighed 45 lbs these are worth reporting.

Answer 7

YES!! These are prime examples of neglect!! I think this situation should be assessed by CPS. Best wishes!

PS. I commend you on posting this!!

Answer 8

According to CPS in CA:

Child abuse and neglect occurs when a child is mistreated, malnourished, or injured.  Abuse can be physical, verbal, emotional or sexual.

Physical abuse is defined as non-accidental physical trauma or injury by a parent or caretaker on a child.  It also includes a parent or a caregiver's  failure to protect a child from another person who perpetrated physical abuse on a child.  In its most severe form, physical abuse is likely to cause great bodily harm or death.

Sexual Abuse includes penetration or external touching of a child's intimate parts, oral s*x with a child, indecent exposure or any other sexual act performed in a child's presence for sexual gratification, sexual use of a child for prostitution, and the manufacturing of child pornography. Child sexual abuse is also the willful failure of the parent or the child's caretaker to make a reasonable effort to stop child sexual abuse by another person.

Emotional Abuse includes verbal assaults, ignoring and indifference or constant family conflict.

If you truly believe that these children are being abused or neglected then you must make the call.  When you do call you should have the following information ready.

Nature of the harm or specific incident(s) that precipitated the report

Date(s) and description(s) of the injuries or dangers

Identities of perpetrator(s) and their relationship(s) to the victim

Witnesses to the incident(s) and how they may be reached

Details of any physical evidence available

Alleged perpetrator’s current access to the child

Present condition of the child (alone, in need of medical attention)

Location of the child and directions to get there

Any statements from the child

How the caller came to know the information and the caller's belief that there is likelihood of further harm to the child(ren).

CPS will determine from your report if further action is warranted. Sometimes nothing will come of it, but a report filed.  If it's a constant pattern and the neglect becomes more severe, having started a paper trail now will help the children/family get help sooner than later.  There will be the established pattern of neglect.   Your name doesn't have to be given to the parent. Hopefully something like this would be a "wake up call" to a parent and they'll turn it around.

Answer 9

yea, those are pretty bad...you shouldn't even have to ask that...those children are in danger...do something.

Answer 10

Only neglecting to change the 2 year old's diapers.

* sleeping while the kids run around the house: maybe the parent has to work at night and needs to sleep. Plus my husband sometimes dozes off on the couch yet when anything happens he leaps right up to take care of it, so maybe the parent is not really asleep.

*Glasses of wine -- are you being honest about this? Why would they do this? Is it just with a sip left? My parents started giving my wine coolers (7 up with a sip of wine at the bottom) when I was six years old. Maybe they're doing it the European way. European children often get to drink beer and wine as children and they have far fewer problems with DUI and alcoholism than we have in the states. I have not done the same with my own children because I am worried about nosy idiots like you turning me in for "giving my children alcohol."

*Bottle of liquor -- was it open? If not then don't worry about it.

*Tools -- I was handing my father nails while he did repairs around the house when I was a year old. I have photos. My five year old sometimes goes with my husband on home remodeling jobs where he (GASP) uses tools!

The diaper thing is not cool, however. Babies deserve a clean bottom.

The bigger question is, how have you been witness to all of this and have never stepped in yourself or changed the poor baby's diaper. If you have not witnessed it yourself then it is heresay and you have no actionable position to interfere.

Mind your own business.

Answer 11

I would think so and if these things are happening to children you know you are obligated to report this to CPS or you are just as responsible if something happens to these kids. Maybe not legally but emotionally.

Answer 12

You could buy why children can get many of these thing while the parents are woke. I think a child 2 should be potty trained.The parent has two small children and sometime they are tired and the children are not. There is really no need to call children services on them unless the parent is demonstration both physical and mental abuse.

Answer 13

All of it.  

Answer 14

I would first try to talk to the parent(s) and try to help or get them help.  Once CPS gets involved those children's lives will forever be altered (not always in a good way), but it is always a last resort to get the children into a better situation if need be.