Why Does Child Protective Services Even Bother?

We have this lady that lives upstairs from me with her 10 year old son. They are not suppose to live in our apartment community. The lady's mother has the rightful lease on the unit.

I live under these "squaters" as the law calls them. The lady yells at her son, she doesn't wash his clothes regularly and also drags him home at 2:00 am - 3:00 am in the morning, he doesn't get sleep, is very pale, has dark circles under his eyes and the mother's yelling and cussing at the son wakes me up.

I contacted child protective services in writing and all they did was call the mother (the actual abuser) and ask her if she did those things. She denied everything and accused us of lying to the authorities.

Some of the tenants tried to get the apartments involved to help the child...they sent the maintenance man to change the lock and put the mother and child out on the street. The mother then locked the top lock and refulsed to come out of the apartment. The maintenance man said that he would call the cops (cops couldn't do anything, they could only tell us that the landlord has to go through a formal eviction process).

This situation is totally depressing. Is there any way to get someone responsible involved? Some kind of child protective service agency that actually will help the child have a better life?

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NuckingFutz said:
Some of the tenants tried to get the apartments involved to help the child...they sent the maintenance man to change the lock and put the mother and child out on the street.

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I'm sorry - but I am a little confused here........ How is putting them out on the street supposed to help the child? - did I miss some thing?

BTW.... Keep calling Child Welfare until some one HELPS!!

i was going to say the same thing, rhap. putting the kid on the street isnt any better than squatting in an apartment. i agree - keep calling. get other people to call them too. if you call everday theyll come out just to get you off their ***. i would keep yourself out of the situation directly though and not talk to the woman face to face. people who have the capability to abuse their own child, you never know what they might do to you or anyone else if someone interjects like that. why cant the cops get her on child abuse?

I'm betting the thought is that if they are put out on the street, child welfare may take more action than they are right now. Though, I hate the thought of putting a child in that kind of position.

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I'm sorry - but I am a little confused here........ How is putting them out on the street supposed to help the child? - did I miss some thing?

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">I think it is the tenants who wanted to help, so they contacted the apartment management, who were the ones who put the child out on the street. The tenants were probably hoping for a better reaction from management. At least, that's how I read it. The apartment management probably just wanted to be rid of the problem and wanted the tenants to stop complaining.

I hope the child gets some help. It's cold at this time of year. Not a good time to be on the streets.

Keep reporting her. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. When they get repeated reports, they will do more I think.

If you feel the boy is in danger at any point, call the police for his protection.

For you, it sounds very hard to live near, wanting to help but feeling frustrated in your efforts. I wonder...It sounds like he could use a nice neighbor to visit sometimes...?

A better life might include a caring neighbor he can visit and just 'be' in an accepting atmosphere. Where he can learn how calm life can be and that caring people make a difference, so he knows he has choices in directions he takes with his own life.

I'd contact the school authorities and get them to get child services involved. He has to be going to school in the bad shape he is and they are authorities that the child welfare authorities are likely to listen to. Too, they can "nab" him when he's in school, get the woman out of the apartment, or lean on the landlord, etc.

If you want to be really "mean" you can call child services and threaten to take them to court for not responding directly; bet that will get a response!

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Perna said:
I'd contact the school authorities and get them to get child services involved. He has to be going to school...

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That is a very good "smart" ideal...... Thanks for coming up with it.

The school wont do anything better.
Last year, my best friend told me she attempted SU because I was talking about a kid who I like, and who likes me back, and she felt lonely, or w/e so at school I was in histerics, I went go guidence, and told them. They called her school, and in her school they just aked her if it was true, she said no, and they sent her back to class.
I'm not friends w/ her anymore, because she is so manipulative, and I had my own problems. It hurt so much to let go.

You think I'd have learned my lesson!
This year, a girl I was friends with from kinder through 7th grade, (a year younger than me) came to my highschool, we were friends again, and I found out she's being abused.
I went to guidance, and same story.
"Are you being abused?"
"No! My dad spoils me!"
"Okay, sorry about that. Let me get you a pass to your next class"

they always tell you to report abuse to guidance...
Psh! its all just a big joke.

I think it would make a difference if it were an adult calling the school rather than one girl reporting on another. It's unfortunate but often the like-to-like reporting doesn't work, the adult, NuckingFutz, reporting to social services about the woman's treatment of her son didn't work but the school has "more" adults who can "see" what the boy looks like and see it's true and they have slightly more "public"/multiple viewers. I would imagine he rides a bus to school (or if he walks, there are other kids from the neighborhood) and getting several adults to complain to the school would make the school worry about its "image" whereas social services is more secretive and can come up with more excuses since they're supposedly helping "everyone" not just kids and don't have much discrepancy in how "bad off" people are? A school is going to have "regular" kids too and "see" the problems of this child differently.