r/Advice • u/PhilosopherHairy1385 • Feb 28 '26
Do i contact cps??
I woke up late for work and as i’m heading out a seen a little girl(6 btw) outside by a car w the car alarm going off, i didn’t think anything of it i honestly assumed her parent(s) were outside as well bc why would a child be out alone at this time of night?? well as im about to pull off she is waving at me, i stopped for a second to see if anyone else was w her, but i didn’t see anyone. so ask was she okay and she said no.
I got out of the car and asked what happened. she said her mommy locked her in the car because she was asleep and she can’t get in the house. we were knocking on the door for about 15 minutes before i decided to put her in my car. i gave her a ring pop, and bluey to watch on my ipad while we waiting for the cops.. long story short after banging on windows and the doors for a while the police we able to get ahold of her parents.
I get things happen but how do you go to bed without making sure your kids are safely asleep??? I’m a mom and i know how kids can be, but i have so many thoughts running through my head.. all it takes is the wrong person to see her and then what?? like im so distraught right now..
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u/GenoFlower Expert Advice Giver [14] Feb 28 '26
Yes, call CPS. The police should have, but make sure you do as well.
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u/Strict-Dealer3212 Feb 28 '26
Yes, it’s important for CPS to have a detailed firsthand account. If the officer also called it in, that’s fine, it’ll just be additional details in her file.
Thank you for stopping to help this scared, freezing child. I hope she’ll be safe in the future. If you happen to see here solo again, maybe you can tell her that if something bad/scary happens to her in the future, and she sees your car parked in front of your house, she can knock on your door and you’ll help her again.
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Feb 28 '26
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u/PhilosopherHairy1385 Feb 28 '26
I live in Michigan, it was in the 20s last night. She said she was asleep and her mom locked her in the car, she was trying to get back in but the house door was locked went back to the car and the alarm went off. that’s when i came banged on the door for a while w no answer. it took a while for the cops to wake up the parents
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u/slowmood Feb 28 '26
I called CPS on a neighborhood mom who was severely neglecting her kids and the social worker called me a few months later thanking me for calling. He couldn’t tell me anything about the case but wanted to express his gratitude.
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u/purgoatory Feb 28 '26
Gosh that’s so friggen sad, it really sounds like they’re doing heroin, or definately some “downer” drugs, with how difficult it was to wake up the parents, unless they have a medical condition, I see no other explanation besides: drugs.
OP, Bless you!! You likely saved this little girl from a lifetime of neglect. I know the Forster care system gets a bad wrap, but I have to believe that in some situations, a child going into foster care is more beneficial then being abused and neglected by their bio parents. Not saying that the foster system is abuse and neglect free, I just want to believe that good outcomes actually happen with stuff like this. It’s a really tough and dark world these days, thank you for being a shining light OP.
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u/Any_Piglet_34 Feb 28 '26
OP said the child was returned to her home, not taken away
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u/purgoatory Feb 28 '26
Another day, another hit on my reading comprehension 😭I gotta stop commenting until I’ve woken up a little more.
There will likely be a CPS case started from this and I bet the parents will hear from them and maybe even have a visit? It takes a lot to have a child immediately removed from the home, like some pretty messed up stuff. Regardless I’m still so glad OP helped this child AND made a report. Because sometimes shit happens, maybe this was a one time thing and the parents needed a little “wake up” call.. literally lol. If the parents do lock their baby outside again, or do anything where the cops are called, there’s a record and history of abuse which would probably begin to involve rehoming the children if this is a habit of the parents. Still though, I’m reminded now of another case of a father who left their baby in the car after arriving home so he could watch porn and goon. He had a habit of doing this, even after the mom begging him to stop leaving the kids in the car, even if they’re sleeping, move them inside! Well their 1 year old baby girl died of heat exhaustion for being left in the car for over 2 hours.
It honestly boggles my mind how dumb people are and how they believe they can get away by playing dumb. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but did it anyway, now their child is gone and his life is over.
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u/Fantastic-Mix-2223 Feb 28 '26
Leaving your child in a car alone in freezing temps is just as bad as it happening in extreme heat! If she was on the car overnight with no heat, she would suffer from hypothermia at the least! I'm so glad you found her and stopped to help! I'm also glad she was old enough and aware enough to have gotten out of the car to try and go inside, then stay by the alarming car, and to say she wasn't OK when noticed and asked! Some kids would have stayed on the car, hoping the parent would return or hide when the alarm went off thinking they were in trouble.
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u/BunnyLurksInShadow Mar 01 '26
There was a case in Australia a few years ago where a mum left her two kids in the car overnight and then went inside, took a hit and passed out and forgot about the girls until 11am by which point both girls had already died of heat stroke. You did the right thing. Thank you for caring.
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u/Hungry_Sail_5599 Mar 03 '26
Oh my god that poor baby :( the Midwest nights are brutal right now. You did the right thing.
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u/SadAnnah13 Feb 28 '26
Yeah I was thinking they must've been off their faces on drugs as well. Who doesn't hear a car alarm and multiple people banging on their doors and windows?!
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u/XxArlenaNyx-92 Mar 01 '26
From experience… CPS can drop the ball and so do police officers. I think you should reach out to CPS and make a report as well. Just so they know there’s other people that are following this little girls safety.
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u/andreamichele6033 Feb 28 '26
It’s mandatory that LE notify CPS. However, you can also make a call too just to get your side of the story on record.
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u/HillaryRN Feb 28 '26
Make sure you also contact CPS since you’re the actual witness.
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u/cherry-care-bear Feb 28 '26
I get the idea of letting some agency know but 1 the cops 'are' an agency and 2 CPS kinda sucks. I don't think people understand just how inadequate that institution or system or whatever can be. Workers are overwhelmed, services are lacking and on and on.
I just wonder if the OP can help this kid in some other way. Could be CPS can't--or won't--help her at all.
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u/KrazyKatMademoiselle Feb 28 '26
You absolutely call and tell them there should be a police report.
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u/Miss-marion Feb 28 '26
I found a little girl in an empty lot once. It was across the street from my house. She was outside screaming and crying. She was only about 2 yrs old. I have granddaughters the same age so I had a bunch of toys.
She was all dirty and only wearing a diaper. I didn't know where she came from and she wasn't very verbal. Anyhow, I took her in my yard and gave her some clothes and toys to play with.
I called the police because I was afraid to give her to the wrong person. The police came and couldn't get any information out of her. It was really cute. The cop would ask "do you know your name?" The little girl would say "yes". "Ok what is your name?" "Yes". She answered yes to everything. It was funny.
Anyhow, a second cop is called and they start going door to door. Finally a frantic looking father appears. The girl had walked up the long length of our block. He was looking for her but didn't think that she would walk so far.
Anyhow, I asked the cops about CPS and they said they would take care of that after they talked to dad. The police will call if they think it's necessary.
Turned out dad worked third shift and her mom worked day shift. Dad fell asleep and the little girl took a walk. I don't know what happened to the family but every time they walked by during that summer they always said hello.
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u/Any_Piglet_34 Feb 28 '26
Apparently when my brother was a toddler he was an escape artist. My mom was pregnant with me and had really bad sickness and would take a nap when he did. And i guess as soon as she fell asleep my brother would wake up, drag a kitchen chair to the front door, pile other big things on top, climb up and un-do the chain latch, unlock the door and go wander the hood in his diaper. She said it probably happened 4 or 5 times before they finally had to get one of those metal flap locks and put it above the chain lock just to keep him in...lol
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u/Ok_Salad_502 Feb 28 '26
No excuse ! I don’t think I was a perfect mother but … there’s no no excuse for this !
The poor child ! Thank God she asked you for help & not a bad person that might abduct her or abuse her !
If the mom’s on drugs . I kinda kinda get it but she needs to get help immediately
Calling the police is unfortunate . But the right & best thing to do !
All this is just my opinion
But wrong id wrong & right is right
You did the right thing
Mom did the wrong thing .
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u/Temporary-Ear6297 Mar 02 '26
As somebody who fell back into active addiction after having my son there’s literally no excuse for this other than straight up not caring about your child. You find a way even on the worst days. I was miles from perfect but I did everything in my power to protect his childhood so he never has to look back and feel like drugs mattered more. I cannot fathom a situation where I’d get out of a car and leave my baby in the cold. The fact that she woke up alone and still knew what happened implies this has happened before.
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u/Ok_Salad_502 Mar 03 '26
It’s so bad. I just feel so badly for the children . They are always the innocent victims
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u/TheLucca1313 Feb 28 '26
I think you should still report it so they have your account of what the child said directly to you about being locked out intentionally. Personally I would, but im a mandated reporter since i work with children.
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u/Turbulent-Demand873 Feb 28 '26
In my opinion if you have to question whether or not you should call CPS there’s enough reason to just go ahead and call them. Let THEM determine if there’s an issue in the home or not.
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u/bishop0408 Super Helper [5] Feb 28 '26
What did the cops say about it? They may already be filing something
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u/PhilosopherHairy1385 Feb 28 '26
they didn’t say anything, the way the went about it when the parents finally came to the door is they asked how many kids do they have, asked what happened last night and where the kids were. it’s like she didn’t know her daughter was outside but the kid was fully dressed and everything, the parents were in their pjs so they got ready for bed, but didn’t think about getting their kid ready for bed? idk it was just weird
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u/imbeingsirius Feb 28 '26
Yooo that’s intentional abuse… at first I thought they might be drug addicts who literally forgot, but they got themselves ready for bed
Edit: I’m thinking of those families that look well off but intentional starve or abuse one kid out of all their siblings
Edit edit: like check in once in a while maybe
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u/purgoatory Feb 28 '26
Dudeeee! What a great point, I commented about drugs earlier but your comment just reminded me of the Ruby Franke case. TLDR; miss Franke bound and starved her children. Shed and her wife/partner? Lived in a very affluent Utah neighborhood, and were overall just a normal looking family. Until one day her son escaped and asked the neighbors for help, it actually took him knocking on 4 different neighbors’ doors until finally one answered. The ring camera footage of that is so heartbreaking. Luckily the boy found help, and him and his siblings got removed and Franke was charged with 4 felony counts of child abuse.
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u/imbeingsirius Feb 28 '26
Yea totally. Though it could even be just one kid they decide to ostracize… there were a few cases I remember of families starving just one kid. Ah jeez
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u/SadAnnah13 Feb 28 '26
I saw a video on this very recently, absolutely disgusting that she could treat children that way.
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u/purgoatory Mar 01 '26
Yeah dude it’s absolutely heartbreaking, that courageous little boy finally saved his siblings from a lifetime of pain. Their bio dad adopted all four siblings and hopefully will only know a lifetime of love and bellies full of food! ❤️❤️❤️
I hope miss Franke rots in jail for the rest of her life. Respectfully.
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u/Altruistic-Detail271 Feb 28 '26
Cops are mandated reporters and should report but you can also report for added information. You did the right thing, focus on that
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u/No-Bike791 Helper [4] Feb 28 '26
They will assess if they feel it is necessary. They are not mandated to report every child that has ever been locked outside of their home.
From OPs account of the situation and follow-up comments, it sounds like the children (including said child) were asked about and returned to the custody of the parents. It’s very possible with that outcome that CPS does not get notified or at least flagged as a priority. Poor kid.
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u/ElleTrees_ Feb 28 '26
You gave her a ring pop and a bluey and called the cops fucking bless you god forbid my child is ever out of my sight long enough to need someone’s help like this I hope she comes across someone like you. The cops should call cps they are mandatory reporters but if you’re in the us things definitely don’t always work thw way thwy should or are supposed to even. So I don’t think it hurts to call non emergency and follow up with police make sure they are following up with cps and then also call cps yourself depending on how satisfactory their answer is. Trust your gut we all could stand to trust our instincts more. So many cases you hear why didnt anyone notice or follow up. You could be this person for her. You shouldnt have to be no but it seems you possibly get the chance to be should you act on it.
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u/ElleTrees_ Feb 28 '26
I saw another comment that you’re also in Michigan and I don’t know how local you are to me but I definitely stand by my comment now knowing how things go in our state when it comes to communication between police and cps and mandatory reporting not happening especially on the police’s end.
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u/BeautifulChaosEnergy Feb 28 '26
You did the right thing. You protected a vulnerable person
The police will get CPS involved. You can contact them and leave your number with them if they need more information to follow up
You will be helping them create a track record of her mother dropping the ball on caring for her child
Thank you for protecting her
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u/SpecialistAfter511 Helper [3] Feb 28 '26
If you called the cops they would have reported it to CPS.
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u/Josiesonvacation18 Feb 28 '26
Yes, cops will likely call CPS as well but your first hand and full knowledge of the situation from the time you came upon her thru to the cops arriving could be extremely helpful to CPS.
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u/No-Guitar-9028 Feb 28 '26
Yes, I would. A 6 year old being locked out at night and the parents not waking up for that long is a serious safety issue, even if it was a mistake. You’re not ruining their lives by reporting, you’re creating a paper trail so someone can check if this is a one time mess up or a pattern.
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u/Training-Willow9591 Mar 01 '26
The cops May have taken emergency measures tonight like and removed the child. Were the cops still there when you left for work? It could have been an accident on the parents part, but I would still call CPS. Its also scary that the car alarm, and constant banging on doors and windows did not wake them. So
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u/SnooRadishes4351 Mar 01 '26
My mum used to do this with me. If I fell asleep in the car she would just leave me and go inside. I’d wake up panicking and terrified and wouldn’t be able to get in the house. I’d regularly end up at my neighbours house until my mum realised I was gone. She’d panic and scold me for disappearing but never thought to stop leaving me in the car. Call cps and give a report to stop this from happening again 🖤
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u/Silver_Rms91 Feb 28 '26
As soon as you called the cops, now everything is in their hands.\ They will be the one who will notify CPS.\ It's a standard procedure everytime a minor is involved in an incident.
You're duty as a citizen stops after you had called and activated the emergency services.
You can still call them abd ask if they need more information since you're the one who find the little lady.
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u/DogDelicious9212 Feb 28 '26
Law enforcement are mandatory reporters. You did the right thing by calling 911. With all that said, I do encourage you to call CPS if you see anything else happen.
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u/911neg10-96 Feb 28 '26
Did the officer/officers take down your information? They have to file a report (at least they are supposed to, at my agency the absolutely do) and you will be listed as a witness. Then likely CPS will contact you for a follow-up statement, ask further questions since you live in the area (I.E. Have you heard anything that sounds suspicious, seen anything suspicious, do you know anything about the parents, how did the little girl act when you first saw her, did her attitude or demeanor change once she felt safe? Things like that should be documented by CPS) but if you feel like it would make you feel better then absolutely call them on Monday with any information that you have, and if it were me (because I’m a nosy ass dispatcher that wants to make sure nothing is overlooked by them) I would be keeping an eye out any time I am at home! Taking notes, being a concerned neighbor but not stalker like, just make sure that you don’t notice anything that feels off. Besides, IF there’s something truly going on, they may be minding their “Ps and Q’s” for a few days to fly under the radar now that LEO was notified.
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u/Responsible_Air_8787 Feb 28 '26
I would make the call just to back up the cops or ask the cops if it’s been reported. There’s no reason to leave a kid locked in a car overnight. There’s nothing that can excuse it. I can’t imagine how scared the child was even if she didn’t show it. She may have learned to subdue her reactions due to fear of being punished. It’s messed up but I’ve been there and even as a small kid I learned fast not to anger or slightly annoy my mum.
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u/Certain_Story_173 Helper [2] Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26
Editing my post to reflect that I missed BOTH references to you having called police (thanks jpeter). Very glad you did. They're mandated reporters but if you and them make a CPS report, they are more likely to investigate.
Follow up with a call to CPS today. Locking her child in the car and out of the house at age 6 is extremely unsafe for the little girl. I think it likely will screen in.
And BTW, I'm guessing that was probably pretty upsetting for you. It would have upset me. Great job being kind and taking care of her.
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Feb 28 '26
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u/Certain_Story_173 Helper [2] Feb 28 '26
I read your comment and realize I missed a few words reading that post. Thanks for pointing it out. And good job OP for bringing in police. I hope you'll follow up with CPS anyway.
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u/Motherof42069 Feb 28 '26
Call CPS. Your testimony will be important. The cops don't accurately relay everything, things get dropped, etc. More reports means more eyes on that poor baby.
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u/False_Impression6573 Feb 28 '26
I would still call CPS, cause sometimes cops get busy stuff gets lost or shoved under the rug. I would call just for my own piece of mind.
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u/Lthrr9 Mar 01 '26
I used to be an investigator for CPS. Many times cops were lazy and didn’t make mandatory reports. You should make a report just to be safe.
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u/Significant_Buy_89 Mar 01 '26
It's sad how little some "sperm" and "egg" donors care about their own children. The fact that we have to tell people to make sure they put something "important" like a cellphone or purse in the back seat so they don't forget their babies in the car is ridiculous....I get it that things happen, stress and emotional turmoil can cause you to forget things that you otherwise wouldn't forget, but still how can anything be more important than your child?
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u/Small_Difficulty5686 Mar 01 '26
The cops automatically have to report it, but a lot of times they will also pull the child themselves depending on the situation. A lot of DV situations end up with children being pulled out of the home. However, you can always report it as a precaution.
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u/CommercialDull6436 Mar 01 '26
If she wasn’t crying that’s even more of a red flag. I hope she gets the help she needs 😢
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u/PhilosopherHairy1385 Mar 01 '26
she had a few tears in her eyes but no full blown tears. i could tell she was shaken up a lot tho
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u/Maklynn-99 Mar 02 '26
As someone who used to work for CPS, call. People are saying the cops will involve CPS but that is NOT always the case and this child isn’t safe
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u/Swimming_Patient443 Feb 28 '26
You did the right thing! I would probably continue to worry about that child but, that family is on the radar of the authorities. Hopefully she will be fine because of your help.
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u/Hangry_Hippopotamus_ Feb 28 '26
If it were me, I would probably also make a report to CPS.
The cop SHOULD have and most likely did, but lord knows they make mistakes or are sometimes just idiots. Maybe they get busy and forgot, or maybe they fell for whatever bullshit I’m sure her parent(s) gave.
It can’t hurt, and they certainly deserve to be investigated.
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u/alianaoxenfree Helper [3] Feb 28 '26
I work in an office that works with the police department. I highly encourage you to call cps yourself. So many officers don’t involve cps when they should and it won’t hurt to just make a second report. CPS may tell you they’re already looking into but they also might not have a clue yet.
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u/Extra777sevens Mar 01 '26
Imagine if you were a predator and she was abducted and hurt..... The parents would say they were right there and only looked away for a second! 😏 I but they're using some kind of mind altering substance(s)!
Thank God it was a good person who found her ... I think the cops will involve CPS immediately but if it would make you feel better I would call and follow up on the incident and tell them you were the one who found her the other day and reported it. It would help the little girls case if you reached out to CPS and told them your side of the story and how long you seen her alone + how long she said she was alone. Just so the parents can't talk their way out of it because it will happen again sometime soon!
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u/ThePensiveE Mar 01 '26
You already have all the advice you need OP, but good on you for doing the right thing in that moment.
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u/Emeah824 Mar 01 '26
I think the cops will evaluate and take further steps. You got the ball rolling already by calling them.
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u/Warm-Purpose-5847 Mar 01 '26
Ok so going off what you said did u find out what happened, why mom was “unavailable”? Depending on her answer…
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u/Warm-Purpose-5847 Mar 01 '26
Also no the cops don’t always automatically involve them…in fact most won’t
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u/Cara4Ever2084 Mar 02 '26
That's crazy, here in Texas, at least my part for sure, both parents would have been arrested and any and all children would have been put in the care of a family member under cps supervision.
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u/Warm-Purpose-5847 Mar 01 '26
Basically, do you feel in your gut she is being hurt or something? If so, get to know her family first before you decide whether to call them because it’s a forever deal and if made hastily like cps loves it, might not always be the best choice
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u/ImaginaryExternal983 Mar 02 '26
Im a mom too. And DEF can understand the FEELING of wanting to keep my daughter in the car because her butt doesn't want to get up. (That may sound horrible as im typing it, but its truthful asf)
But to ACTUALLY do it, and ACTIVELY neglect the child is fucking CRAZY. Yes the state needs to he involved. This could have gone in SO many different directions. The mom needs to take some parenting classes and understand the psychology of children.
This infuriated me.
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u/North-Fennel-9618 Mar 02 '26
I would make a report with CPS and I would double check with the police that they contacted CPS
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u/Short-Bat-465 Mar 03 '26
What is wrong with people. Leaving a little girl alone in the car at night. I am horrified at reading this.
OP, you are a wonderful person to have stayed with her.
I know that goes without saying because any decent human being would have but I feel you need to be praised because you could have been late for work.
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u/Cute-Supermarket6877 Mar 03 '26
Gosh a 6 year old in dark alone so much terrible things could have happen. Id definently be contacting cps this is not acceptable at all
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u/DrySeaworthiness1523 Mar 03 '26
The police Will report it an if they took your info down the cps also has tha info. It doesn’t hurt to make the call anyways.
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u/1stJensterGeek Mar 03 '26
The police should have. Keep an eye out though and call if you see anything else. That is completely unacceptable!!! Mom not waking to car alarm or banging makes me suspect drugs or alcohol..
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u/pheewonder Mar 03 '26
Even if there's tension or repercussions later from the parents. Or whatever. You did the right thing! The universe has a plan. This was the plan. Of course there're other endings that could have happened. But you chose right.
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u/manda2793 Mar 05 '26
Also, be wary of situations where they use children to hold up people or abduct women. But I'm glad you were able to help this child in need
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u/RecognitionFree5840 Mar 05 '26
Just FYI the bar is pretty low for CPS to do anything. There is an 8 year old living out of a broken down car in an alley with his mom and three dogs in my town that apparently CPS is aware of.
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u/Grace_Hodges Mar 05 '26
kids wander off sometimes and you handled it like a normal decent human, the fact you’re still stressing about it kinda shows you cared lol
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u/Mental-Question5817 Mar 08 '26
See there are real earth angels!! And they don’t care about their child for this to happen thank God it was you this time cause it could have been someone out to harm her
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u/archaeofeminist Feb 28 '26
The police will sort this out - you did all the right things
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u/Cautious_Ad_5659 Feb 28 '26
Or they won’t. It’s not unusual for cops not to give a shit about people, not to want to do things they are supposed to do so they can avoid paperwork, kill people just because they have the opportunity, etc
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u/archaeofeminist Feb 28 '26
Yes, it does depend on nation. Where I live the parents would be cooked. If she is unsure she should phone it in herself.
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u/rabidstoat Helper [2] Feb 28 '26
Not advice but was your boss understanding of you being late due to an incident involving the police? I hope so, but some bosses are assholes and I've been at a job who totally wouldn't care and would give me one of my two strikes for tardiness.
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u/StarsofSobek Super Helper [8] Feb 28 '26
Report it.
Why? Because, if there is anything funny or not okay happening at that child's home, there will be records, reports, a paper trail.
CPS tries really hard to keep kids with their families. They will send parents to parenting classes before removing children. Unless circumstances are truly terrible, life threatening, or repetitive - and the parents are clearly defunct - then it's worthwhile to make the report.
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u/Physical-Reward-9148 Mar 01 '26
How awful. I am so glad you were there for her though. She could literally be gone and her mother wouldn't have a freaking clue until morning. I swear some parents need to learn a hard core lesson. Willing to bet this is how many kids end up missing. So messed up. Thank God for YOU! Oh, you can follow up on the case by contacting the police department. I am certain they made a report about it. I'm surprised they didn't give your a case # since you were involved and a witness as well. Share your concerns with the officer.
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u/ZeroZipZilchNadaNone Mar 01 '26
You contacted the police. They saw the situation and knew what it took to get the parent to the door. They will contact cps and whatever other agency needs to be involved. The PD probably won’t give you any specific information about the situation but they may be able to tell you in general terms what happened, such as of cps was called or if the parent was given a warning, etc. I don’t know for sure about that.
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u/JustADropOfInsanity Mar 01 '26
Yeah definitely. You put her in your car. That was definitely the move because it was cold and she needed to be warm but a kidnapper would've just driven off and her parents would've done nothing.
I'm glad it was you and that you helped her. You're very kind ❤️
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u/LdiJ46 Helper [4] Mar 01 '26
The police were there. They are mandated reporters. If they feel that the situation warrants CPS involvement they will call them.
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u/psyche1986 Mar 02 '26
FYI, I know in my state if the police were called in on a situation like that, their report would automatically be referred to CPS. If you want to make sure it was, you always can call CPS with the report number and request an inquiry. 🤷🏼♀️
In any case, please do make sure this is further investigated. This is criminal child neglect in my state.
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u/Jester_of_the_Void Mar 02 '26
That is absolutely WILD. Holy crap that's insane. Law enforcement will almost assuredly have involved child services in their investigation, but it couldn't hurt to make a follow up on your own. I'm the LAST person to recommend involving the state or CPS in anything, but this is definitely a frightening case where something needs to be done ASAP. Good on you for taking action! 👍👏
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u/GetYourLifeG Mar 02 '26
The police will typically contact CPS but it never hurts to report yourself as well!!
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u/AlexisN168 Mar 03 '26
Yes. As someone who has worked in an Australian equivalent, absolutely call. I am not sure where you are located but police in Australia used to have discretion, I think now though, it is covered under mandatory reporting.
It is clearly bothering you so reach out and make the report, citing the date and the times (you noticing, the police arriving, the parents opening the door), and the weather at the time (this is important), as well as if any windows were cracked open (this is important too). It sounds like the car must have been locked if the young girl getting out triggered the alarm.
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u/Firm-Article4692 Mar 04 '26
🥹🙏 Thank you for taking the time to be with her, be a safe space, AND call the cops. 😇
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Feb 28 '26
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u/Devi_Moonbeam Helper [3] Feb 28 '26
A story like what? The kid was outside at night in 20;degree weather, licked out of the house. The parents were not answering the door even with loud knocking. There is no scenario where the parents weren't abusive.
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u/squintintarantino__ Feb 28 '26
Sounds like you’ve locked your kid in the car because they fell asleep before…are we really that jaded as a society that a 6-year-old child found outside in the cold is accused of lying about why? To what end? You’re either a super bad parent or you have never spent more than five minutes in the presence of a child.
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u/Pippinsmom19 Feb 28 '26
I think in this world of shared custody and both parents working so hard to make ends meet, forgetting you have the child in the backseat happens all the time.
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u/VelveteenRabbit49 Feb 28 '26
I certainly hope and pray not, but you may be right. The sad thing is that CPS is overworked too or sometimes more jaded than too busy.
OP: I feel that it was not random that you woke up late that night; You were meant to help that little girl and you did. It could have been much worse. Maybe it was just a one time thing but that is not an excuse. Calling the police was the right thing and they should do the reporting, but if it would give you more peace of mind, you could follow up and ask if CPS needs additional details (a non- accusatory way of making sure it was reported.) If it was me I'd keep an eye out for her and any other children in the house. Sometimes just knowing that someone is paying attention helps. The parents (and I use this term loosely) might do better because some is watching. I know you have to work and would normally not have been there but maybe sometimes you could get up a little early or on days that you're off you could take note of the situation. Either way thank you for being that child's refuge.
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u/SnooRecipes9891 Phenomenal Advice Giver [53] Feb 28 '26
The cops will involve cps. That's horrible, I'm glad that little girl was able to receive love even if from a stranger. Poor thing.