Would you contact child protective services?

Question

Today, while at the park with my family, 4 little boys showed up with no parent. The oldest was about 7 and the youngest was about 12 months, maybe a little older. The older boys were not even watching him. My husband and brother in law stepped in a few different times to rescue him from being injured. Once he tried to get on a merry go round that was going full speed, the second time he was trying to climb to the top of a tall jungle gym.I asked the boys where their parents were because it was starting to rain and thunder and they didn't seem to even notice. I was afraid they would get caught in the storm. My brother in law finally convinced them to go home. They told me their address and their house is two blocks from the park. It's not like their mom could even see them from a window. Even if she could I think letting children that young go to the park alone AND bring an infant is totally neglectful and disgusting. People like that don't deserve to be parents. What do you think?

Answer 1

yes.. obviously the mother is only in it for the baby bonus cheques. you are a smart person. defiantly dont deserve to be parents..

you have to write a test to do everything.. why not write a test to be a parent.. you know..

Answer 2

I agree with Sissy.  I'd report them, pronto.  Someone needs to investigate.

Answer 3

Think you should have called the police on the spot.

Answer 4

Even the 7 year old shouldn't have been at the park alone, let alone the younger children. Since they told you their address, you should call CPS immediately. Don't wait. You could be saving 4 little lives. If you see them again and they'e alone, call the police immediately. Please, please call CPS.

Answer 5

Immediately contact child protective services!

Answer 6

That is scary. Not only were they there unsupervised, they gave a total stranger their address.

Its possible the mother was in the bathroom and they just took off. She could have been frantically looking for them, checking with neighbors, etc.

I think you should have reported it. At least 3 adults saw them there and got involved with them. I wouldn't have been at all surprised if you offered them ice cream, if they would  have gone with you. Anyone could have taken them just by putting the baby in their car and telling the older kids to get in, he was taking them home and if they didn't go too, he was still taking the baby home. No one would have known that person didn't have that right.

Those kids are in danger whether their mom allowed them to go or not. I think you should still report it and get the other adults you know who were there to confirm it. At the very least, the parents will be told that the kids are too young to be going to the park alone, especially with a toddler.

Answer 7

If that ever happens again, call 9-11 right away! The police will take these children and contact CPS. That is awful and if y'all hadn't intervened, those children could've been seriously injured or kidnapped! Stupid people shouldn't be allowed to breed.

Answer 8

I would definitely call CPS.  That's neglect, pure and simple.  An infant shouldn't go anywhere unsupervised!  That's just bad parenting.  Call CPS, you know where they live.  And you have witnesses to the effect.

Answer 9

You are right....I have two kids of my own and will never leave them with a child because they don't what right they're selfs. I think you could call them but I would have took them to there parents myself and spoken to there parents. That's not right at all.. I'm upset just hearing that mess

Answer 10

I would contact the police and let them be the middleman for your concerns with regard to CPS (child protective services).

Answer 11

I probably would call them for the simple fact that people who tend to make poor decisions like these are probably on drugs.  Drive by the house and see what it looks like.  If you see them out like this again..I would call again.  We live in apartments and it is amazing and sickening to me the lack of supervision that most children have.  I am always looking out for all of the children.  Mainly trying to keep them out of the road when their parents are nowhere in sight.  It is hard for my 4 year old daughter to understand why she does not get the freedoms that these other children get.  Sometimes it takes a whole neighborhood to raise a child.

Answer 12

Yes, I would report it but it might be too late.  I think for that to be a documented case, the police would have had to be called while the situation was happening.  After the fact can much more easily be denied.  But at least if you report it, if there have been other reports, yours can corroborate it.

Answer 13

Definetly....Call

Answer 14

That is VERY neglectful. I would NEVER let my children go to a park alone- even if I COULD see them from a window. I don't put anything past people these days. What would she do if her children never came home and she had to call the Police? I wonder what they would say if she told them she let them go to the park alone and now they're gone? Sheesh.

Never.

Answer 15

Yes, I think you should contact CPS.  There is such a thing as endangerment by neglect, the equivalent in this case of telling your kids to go play in the street.  Literally.

Answer 16

I definitely would contact the CPS.  Children should never be let out in public unsupervised, and certainly not a toddler whose sense of awareness of the environment is not yet fully developed.  If I was the President of the United States I would introduce parenting licences which will forbid people to have children if they do not come up to basic requirements.  Those kids should definitely be taken away from their negligent parents and raised in a more secure household.