Should I call child services on my neighbor?

Question

So I have some neighbors who I feel have been mistreating their children and I’m wondering if I should call child services on them. I have a list of some of the things that have happened.

1) the house is very dirty and cluttered with trash on the porch. They have a lot of mice, which we have gotten a couple in our home from them too.

2) they have a bunch of outside cats. A lot of times, they forget to feed them so they start meowing so I give them a can of tuna.

3) My mom once witnessed her wait until her oldest son (maybe 8) got off the bus and then start cussing him out and threatening him because he left something on the floor for her to pick up.

4) Her husband has cussed out one of the children (maybe 4) because they got in front of the TV while he was watching it.

5) the husband and wife frequently have arguments and ask my mom if my mom knows where her children are.


What do you think? Should I call child services? Or just ignore what I’ve seen? I watch a lot of crime shows so I might be getting ahead of myself but I would hate to think a child is being abused? Especially since I do live in a town that is highly populated with drug abusers.

Answer 1

I don’t see a lot of abuse. Possibly the yelling, depending on what’s said, but there is certainly neglect. Calling now would get the parents into parenting classes so the kids can be helped while remaining in the home.

Answer 2

Although the situation is obviously far from ideal, nothing you've mentioned would be considered ABUSE. They may be violating city or county health ordinances, so that could be addressed. But CPS has plenty of cases of *genuine child abuse* to cope with and doesn't need baseless complaints from disgruntled neighbors.

Answer 3

If you do, they would be told to clean the place up. It sounds like a board of health issue, both in terms of the trash and debris, as well as the health of the kids and the cats. No doubt this couple is having their own challenges, and it could be poverty or health issues that end in taking it out verbally on the children. That in itself is more a symptom of something else than a distinct problem unto itself.



If you are seeing mice, quite honestly, perhaps YOU should get a cat. Mice are territorial and like any organism, tend to reproduce at a higher rate when there is a good food source around. But they also occur naturally, not just where trashy neighbors live. Having a good resident cat will cure that in a few days- for as long as the cat is present. It's likely you would have mice eventually even if these neighbors never lived there.



So yes, call the authorities, but call the Board of Health, not CPS. Calling CPS will mean you're calling workers who are over-assigned, and don't handle health issues of trash and debris, and it's just not the right agency for the problems you list.

Answer 4

Report to them what you've told us here.

This not acceptable living condition for children.

Be sure to report anonymous 🕵️‍♂️ don't give your name.

Answer 5

They sound gross. I would.

Answer 6

call em...this may be enough to spook the parents into trying harder.

Answer 7

the cats should be eating the mice

Answer 8

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Lord Voldemort (lol). Parents can get overwhelmed, and families can have problems, and they might not always make the best decisions, but that's not necessarily abuse. I would probably call an exterminator about the mice, or if it's really bad, you might see what the rules are in your city. I used to live in a city where it was illegal to have trash in the yard, to let the grass get too high, to have to many pets, etc. See if there's a website for your city or a number to call and report not the child abuse but the trash and cats and rodents, that might end up leading to an investigation and if there is child abuse, it might be uncovered that way. Also, don't give cats tuna. It can lead to malnutrition. If you really want to help them, get real cat food, and find out if there are any free spay/neuter programs, to keep the population from growing.

Answer 9

It definitely sounds like a dysfunctional home, but not quite abusive enough to demand involvement of child protection services. People aren't perfect and parenting can push already imperfect people to the limit, especially when juggling other issues such as finances, a troubled marriage and a cluttered living space, but there is a point where the line of acceptability is crossed. Do definitely keep an eye on them for any other suspicious signs.

Answer 10

yikes.... maybe you should... #stanloona