Was I wrong? Socail Services question?

Question

I work in a hospital in childrens outpatients. Today I rang a parent to offer them an appointment for their child. A 6 year old answered the phone and after asking for her parents she informed me she was alone. I didnt belive her and decided to ring back after 30 mins (this was 9.30am). I rang back and again she answered. After questioning her some more, she told me that her parents had gone to the 'mortgage man' and would be back at 4.15pm. Her older brother who is 11 is at school and she is sick at home. I couldnt believe this! I was/am so upset that after all thats happening in the news that people will still leave their children unattended. Why did both parents have to go to the bank? I went to one of the Child Protection doctors and she rang up social services and had police sent around to the house. Was I wrong for reporting this??

Answer 1

No you were not, 6 years old is NOT an acceptable age to be left alone. If she was sick, her parents should have changed their appointment, or even took her along(I have had to take sick kids with me at times) it is called being responsible!
They never even bothered to instruct her NOT to answer the phone and NO child, no matter what age, should ever tell a caller that they are home alone, there are to many weirdos out there nowadays! How much you want to bet she opened the door for the police when they got there, because I am sure they didn't bother to tell her not to do that either!
Way to go hunny! If they aren't going to protect her, at least you did! Thanks!

Answer 2

Personally, I didn't leave my daughter alone until she was 11 or 12, and then only for 20 or 30 minutes at a time. She was calm and obedient as a child, (she still is at 20) and very responsible for her age. On the other hand, my son is now 15, and I still go out of my way to avoid leaving him alone-he's a high functioning autistic. I have left him home alone for VERY short time periods, because he is also quite calm and obedient, but if strangers came to the door, he would let them in without hesitation.
I definitely think you did the right thing, and I think you showed a lot of courage and compassion by choosing to act in the best interest of a child. The world would be a better place if more people acted with honest compassion and concern for fellow beings. BTW, if someone is trying to get a home loan, it is customary for both buyers to go to the bank-the bank needs notarized signatures from both buyers in order to get the loan. They should have taken the child with them or rescheduled their appointment if she was too ill to go.

Answer 3

No you were not wrong. Six is way to young to be home alone other than for a parent to say run next door for a few minutes or something like that where the parent is eaisly acessable

I would have understood more if these were low income parents who both had to work and didn't have child care but they were at the bank. While it is completly wrong to leave a child that young at home there are cases where it seems as though the parents have no choice but this does not seem like one of them.

Answer 4

No you were 100% correct in doing so. If you had interupted that child in doing something harmful and never called the police would you be able to live with yourself after hearing that child had died. The parents are retards plain and simple and have no right to raise a child. 6 years old. This sickens me.
GOOD JOB! Wish more people were like you.

Answer 5

You were absolutely right in your decision to notify the proper authorities. As you said, with every that is going on in this world today, no child should ever be left alone under any circumstances. That is clearly child abuse and child endangerment. I applaud you for what you did. Keep up the good work. Too bad there aren't more people like you!

Answer 6

One, even if you had called as part of a social relationship and discovered this situation, calling social services was the right thing to do. However, if you are still unsure, then take into consideration that by working in a hospital/medical setting, you are most likely legally bound to report any suspected cases of abuse or neglect. So again, you were dead on.

Answer 7

THANK GOD !!!!! there are people like you still around. .... You can thrown away that guilt feeling. What if something terrible had happened to that child because you did nothing...that's something to feel guilty about. No my darling, you did the best thing any sensible caring human would have done. I'd have done the same myself. Good on you.

Now go get yourself a good glass of champagne and celebrate that you phoned that house and did what was right.

Answer 8

No, you did the right thing. You work in a profession that has a code of coduct which emphasises that the childs welfare is always a primary concern. So, you have acted in a professional manner and carried out your duties. Don't worry. If this child is being left on its own, imagine how terrible you would feel if something happened and you knew about it. You would probably never forgive yourself.

Answer 9

I don't think that your wrong Children should not be left on their own I wish that more people would do the right thing like you,
It is like that poor Maddie in Portugal she would not have been taken if her parents had not left her on her own she would be safe. Instead she is God knows where with God knows who. There another couple that need reporting to social services.

Answer 10

There is no right or wrong here

If these folks did nothing wrong then the police will go and social serivces will go and then they will leave em alone if they are innocent of neglect

If they did something wrong they will get help

You did what you thought was right and who knows you may have helped that little girl

Be proud of the fact you care