To Call Or Not To Call...

[Jessiesgirl1108]

Thought this article was pretty interesting.

Also would like to share a story of an encounter I experienced last night:
I was at a local CiCi's waiting for business aquaintences to join me for a face painting and balloon twisting workshop. While waiting there was a young couple with a small child approx a year old. The little girl was adorable, keep looking over at me and smiling big, so I was playing pee-a-boo with her to make her laugh. Anyway, I noticed she had quite a few bruises on her that did not look like just random toddler accidental bruises. She had a small bruise and cut mark just next to her right eye, another bruise on her forehead to the left and I couldn't tell for sure but what looked like another bruise up further on her forehead in the middle that was partially covered by her hair. I also noticed what looked like a healing bruise/mark on the inside of her forearm that looked abnormal. Her parents seemed to be loving and attentive and the little girl looked happy but I was conflicted because I felt like I should call police or confront the parents or something...but what?

I know my situation is a little different because I am not mandated to call in a suspicion, but this lady was and now she is paying the price for it.

A home daycare owner in Pickering, Ont., was successfully sued this week for reporting a case of suspected child neglect to the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAS). As CityNews Toronto first reported, Tammy Larabie was ordered to pay $10,000 plus court costs to the family of a toddler she worried was being neglected. After an investigation, the CAS did not find any evidence of abuse. The family then sued Larabie. She made a judgment call, and she’s now lost her daycare and a substantial amount of money.

More info at the link:
http://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/on-our-minds/daycare-owner-sued-for-reporting-suspected-neglect/

 

[WannaBeMaybe]

Aren't reports supposed to be confidential, so things like that don't happen??

 

[Krystal]

I say that you should always err on the side of caution. I would rather that CPS investigate 100 mistaken claims of abuse and neglect than for 1 case fall through the cracks.

I say that with the caveat that I abhor people who use CPS as the personal revenge tool. You should NEVER call and report abuse/neglect just to get revenge on an ex or former friend and if you do I think you should be punished.

Also, I think the day care owner being sued and having a judgment placed on her sets a very, very dangerous precedent. I hope that the appeals courts strike down the verdict. I say that with the assumption that she called out of genuine concern and not out of vengeance or revenge seeking. If she truly and honestly believed that a child was being abuse and/or neglected and therefore called the authorities she should not be punished for her concern even if she was mistaken.

 

[Jessiesgirl1108]

Aren't reports supposed to be confidential, so things like that don't happen??

Good point!
Although, I am reminded of the movie 'Neighbors' after Seth's character and his wife call the cops and are looking out the window as the cops show up at the house next door. He keeps telling his wife that he called anonymously and as he's saying that the cop points directly over to them. lol

 

[rod2pop]

From reading the article, it seems like the daycare provider did all the right things. So why in the fuck is she now being punished? I didn't think Canada was fucked up like this.

Great, so now more abused kids are going to slip under the radar because people will fear reporting them.

 

[Brenni]

Honestly in a round about way I would have said something .. no accusation just like I said a round about totally passive aggressive "observation"

But that's me.

 

[Jessiesgirl1108]

Honestly in a round about way I would have said something .. no accusation just like I said a round about totally passive aggressive "observation"

But that's me.

Yeah I thought of saying something along the lines of 'oh, she must fall down a lot' or 'oh, did she get in the boxing ring or something' but the encounter was fairly quick as they were leaving not long after I sat down and of course I don't think of these things to say till after they leave. Then I beat myself up the rest of the night for not saying anything.

 

[Countess Olenska]

I'd call. It's anonymous for a reason. I think of it this way, if it were me as a child being abused and people saw me but ignored my pleading eyes for help, I would be crushed for life. Just hopeless.

I stop for old ladies, and turtles, and small children, old men who look lost. I even ushered a shit ton of walking catfish across a road once while I was 8 months pregnant while cursing snotty ladies in BMWs for just running them all over. It's what I do. To a degree it's at a deficit to myself. However, I can't be that person who kicks themselves for not checking. I hope I'm wrong, but I'd rather be sure before I drive myself crazy thinking about the woulda, coulda, shoulda's.