Should I Report This To Someone?

[Logged out for privacy]

I'm a long time member here and have a questions that isn't really DC related, so I figured the parents forum would be most appropriate since when you're logged out, you can't access the "off topic" section. Anyways...

It's several weeks into the school year in my area. My neighbor's children haven't been to school this week at all. I've seen them hanging around outside, but figured they were just home with colds or something.

Today I saw them out playing at the park (alone). I asked them why they weren't in school, and they told me that they'd been oversleeping because their Mom isn't getting up either, so they're missing the bus and that she "can't" drive them to school.

These children are in 4th, 6th, and 7th grades.

What do I do? Talk to the Mom and offer to take them to school? Call the school and tell them? Something else?

[sharlan]

Call the school.

[youretooloud]

Yep. Call the school.

[familyschoolcare]

call school, make sure you tell the school what the children said about why they are missing school. Because the school already knows they are missing school and have gotten a reason of some sort from mom or another adult.

[Crystal]

Call the school AND CPS. Don't rely on the school to make the report for YOUR initial observations. Best wishes

[SilverSabre25]

I agree with Crystal. That's truancy, through and through. The kids are going to be punished at school for their mother's...behavior. Ruder terms are running through my mind, including "laziness" and "ineptitude" but I hesistate to actually use them because I don't know her circumstances. Still, she should be tyring to get her kids out the door...or they should be getting themselves out the door. By 6ht/7th grade I was pretty much completely responsible for getting myself out the door on time.

[Oneluckymom]

I'm worried about kids but also mom...what if mom is sick, abusing drugs, etc. It's unusual for a parent to NOT get kids to school at all. Maybe she needs medical help, IDK. I'd say call the school and inform them. you may be able to just call the non emergency police number and they can get to the bottom of why kids are not in school, they will probably send out a truancy officer. Update us pls on what happens...I'm curious.

[Meyou]

My first thought was that mom sounds very depressed or has a substance abuse problem so I would definately report it to the school and CPS.

[melskids]

this may sound far fetched, but maybe something happened to mom and the kids are now alone, and afraid to say anything for fear of being split up.

i know..i watch to many lifetime movies, but you never know.

i would def. call someone.

[morgan24]

At our school parents have to call and let them know that their kids won't be in school. After 3 days out the school calls and after 5 they get a visit. I don't know if it is cps that visits.

I would call the school, give them a few days and then call truancy. If you think there is more going on and they are being neglected I would call cps.

[dave4him]

Call the school and possibly the DHS

[dEHmom]

is there an update on this?

[Unregistered]

Update

It turns out that one of the children really was sick. However, the other two weren't going to school because Mom has an injury and isn't allowed to drive at all. Apparently pain meds were causing her to sleep in. I made her aware that I was aware and offered to drive the kids to school or otherwise make sure they got there. It hasn't happened since then as far as I know.

[Michael]

Thanks for the update!