Toddler Left Home Alone Leaves Hospital (Father gets her Yes Yes)

[Noordam]

AP News

October 1, 2003
Toddler Left Home Alone Leaves Hospital
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 12:36 p.m. ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- A 2-year-old girl left home alone for 2 1/2 weeks while her mother was in jail has been released from the hospital after being treated for malnutrition and dehydration, officials said Wednesday.

The child, who survived by eating ketchup, mustard and dried pasta, was released late Tuesday from Wolfson Children's Hospital to the custody of the state Department of Children & Families. The agency granted temporary custody to her father.


,cut.... more at article.....

[Book Lover]

1. Has it been proven that ...

the mother neglected to tell CPS that she had a child? Or is this yet another case of CPS failing to follow up? I'm not defending the mother if she kept silent about her child because she did not care, but it is very possible that she A) told the court which failed to follow up or B) she did tell the court who told CPS which negletced to follow up.

[FlaGranny]

2. Either way, it is a horrifying story.

If the father hadn't kept trying to call, that child might not have made it.

[BiggJawn]

3. I'm curious as to WHY the child was ALONE in the FIRST place...

Is this a case of "Mommy's gotta go downtown, sweety, you just sit here and watch TV and I'll be back soon" or what?

Did she leave the kid with somebody who decided "huh, guess the bitch ain't comin' back. I gotta go..." and split.

[Noordam]

5. I think the mother has done this in the past

I think that is why the father got upset with the mother in jail. He did not trust the mother.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. Those were the first questions that occurred to me, too

I do think that most mothers would have been screaming their heads off throughout the entire two weeks if they knew that their toddler was alone in the house.

[elfwitch]

4. Read this...

I read this earlier today and it made me nearly physically ill. I have a two year old and could not imagine any reason for doing something this horrible. I just kept thinking about that poor little girl and how scared she must have been for the first couple of days. Just thinking about it now is making me hurt all over again.

[DulceDecorum]

6. I've seen this happen before

Some woman had a few children and she was having trouble trying to support them and was caught selling moonshine. So they took her in.
She told them about her kids and they said that the jail didn't take kids and how did they know she was telling the truth anyway.
So she was gone for two months.
Luckily, it was harvest time and the kids scrounged around the countryside.
When she was released she went straight home to find a truant officer and a cop who arrested her for child neglect and carted her off to spend another few months in jail.
Then they took the kids away permanently becsuse she did not make the custody court date on account of her being in lock-up for neglecting the kids while in jail for trying to get money for food to support them in the first place.
So much for the law, and its diminishing returns.

Years later, when the kids were all grown, they were all reuinited.
The kids didn't blame their Mom, but they all sure had a tough time.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. This is the Principle of Infinite Punishment in action

You see, if someone happens to be one of the "undesirables" (shoplifts, sells drugs...) then no punishment is excessive and anything that makes such person suffer is a Good Thing. Ditto for family.

Consider this a sneak peek into the Soul of Ashcroft.

[Noordam]

8. In the case of a two yo,,, the mother should have been

screaming her head off. SO

A) She really did believe the child was with neighbors

OR

B) She did not care as long as she could cover up leaving the child alone.

Either way,,, she lied to the father, IT SOUNDS LIKE.

[LiberalFighter]

9. Since when is it the DCF that decides?

Isn't this a matter for family court to decide even if it is temporary? I don't see how DCF would have legal authority to make that decision since they are not judges.

[Noordam]

10. in Florida DCF can place the child in Foster care and do

everything they wish to keep her there.

Here is a South Florida case

http://www.extralove.com/ash_danger_abuse.html

[RobinA]

11. A Judge Decides

DCF just recommends. Most judges lean toward family members, often in the face of some fairly damning evidence that this is not the best course of action.

[fortyfeetunder]

13. Wait a minit...dis is Florida!!!!!!!!!--RILYA WILSON

The same social welfarce system that can't seem to find Rilya Wilson?

Remember ladies and gents, Rilya Wilson was one of those 5YO kids under custody by the state and she has yet to be seen. How long has she been missing, a couple of years?

#$(*#*&$)#(&$) that 2 YO needs to be with her daddy!

NOTE: Edited it for typos and to add my expletive