Opportunity to Make a Difference
I work for a state agency, but my job usually does not result in contact with the general public. Yestereday, however, I opened the door and headed out to lunch when I saw a young man frantically walking towards me with two young girls, ages 4 & 2. He asked if I could let him in the building through an employees-only entry, and I directed him to the public entrance. Extremely aggravated, he shouted back at me that these two girls (no shoes, no bath in weeks, lice infested, and obviously terrified at this point) were not his kids, and that he found them playing in the busy street between the building and the parking lot. The kids were too little to provide anything but first names.
I had a co-worker join me so we could walk the man and the two kids down to CPS, which ironically, is in the same building. The man didn't want to turn them over to CPS because he didn't want to get the kids taken away from the mother. Fortunately, this is standard procedure when we see this situation come up in or around state facilities.
When we got about half way down the hall, a woman came running from behind us screaming at her kids for getting out of the car. We explained that we had to walk them down to CPS because they were found by a stranger playing in the busy street outside. She said that was fine, because she was headed there anyway for her appointment about her brother's case.
After CPS investigators took our statements, we all went back outside to leave for lunch. The man was still upset about "causing" the mom so much trouble. I explained that this was not his making, and that if she was this comfortable neglecting them on her way into the CPS office, imagine what it must be like at home--especially considering what physical condition the kids were in when he found them in a busy street. Anybody could have picked up those kids, and she is so fortunate, in so many ways, that it was someone decent like himself and that her kids are safe.
I'm sure most everyone's been in similar situations, although maybe not as extreme, and I just hope there is never a hesitation to step up on behalf of someone who cannot speak up for themselves, no matter the consequences. Hopefully, the man will officially call to report what happened so it can be dealt with appropriately. The future of those little girls depends on it.
People need to understand that neglect is abuse. Could this have been a huge misunderstanding? Maybe, but when we're dealing with children, especially small children, we have to err on the side of caution. This one instance could be a symptom of a much larger problem for these kids. I send up my prayers for the whole family so that something positive will come to them from what happened yesterday.
I had a co-worker join me so we could walk the man and the two kids down to CPS, which ironically, is in the same building. The man didn't want to turn them over to CPS because he didn't want to get the kids taken away from the mother. Fortunately, this is standard procedure when we see this situation come up in or around state facilities.
When we got about half way down the hall, a woman came running from behind us screaming at her kids for getting out of the car. We explained that we had to walk them down to CPS because they were found by a stranger playing in the busy street outside. She said that was fine, because she was headed there anyway for her appointment about her brother's case.
After CPS investigators took our statements, we all went back outside to leave for lunch. The man was still upset about "causing" the mom so much trouble. I explained that this was not his making, and that if she was this comfortable neglecting them on her way into the CPS office, imagine what it must be like at home--especially considering what physical condition the kids were in when he found them in a busy street. Anybody could have picked up those kids, and she is so fortunate, in so many ways, that it was someone decent like himself and that her kids are safe.
I'm sure most everyone's been in similar situations, although maybe not as extreme, and I just hope there is never a hesitation to step up on behalf of someone who cannot speak up for themselves, no matter the consequences. Hopefully, the man will officially call to report what happened so it can be dealt with appropriately. The future of those little girls depends on it.
People need to understand that neglect is abuse. Could this have been a huge misunderstanding? Maybe, but when we're dealing with children, especially small children, we have to err on the side of caution. This one instance could be a symptom of a much larger problem for these kids. I send up my prayers for the whole family so that something positive will come to them from what happened yesterday.
posted by Cricket at 9:34 AM
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