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Babysitter Horrified After Seeing Home Conditions, Takes Heat From Parents After Calling CPS
Babysitting is not always the most glamorous job, but it doesn’t always have to be so bad or stressful. However, imagine walking into a home that looks like an apocalypse.
Today’s Original Poster (OP) who used to work in daycare found themself in that position until they began to suspect neglect from the kids’ parents. Out of concern, they called Child Protective Services (CPS), and that earned them some backlash.
More info: Reddit
RELATED:
Some jobs are a wake-up call to what people may be going through, and that was the case for this babysitter
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author was referred to babysit for their boss’s friend’s family, but upon arriving, they were met with a very unsanitary environment
Image credits: s**tpostma****na
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
They noticed some things that appeared like red flags of neglect, and so they decided to involve Child Protective Services
Image credits: s**tpostma****na
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
After making the report, they received some backlash from their boss and parents who claimed that they had meddled in the family’s business
Image credits: s**tpostma****na
The author was then left wondering if they were wrong for reporting their suspicions to CPS
The OP initially wanted to work at a job that they had worked in previously, but since they were fully staffed, the boss pointed them in the direction of a friend who needed a babysitter. The OP gladly took this opportunity.
However, from the moment they entered the house, red flags were everywhere: the smell of urine, floors covered in filth, and kids with visibly matted hair and dirty, sticky feet. Things escalated when lunchtime came and they were met with a kitchen overrun with moldy dishes and souring milk.
Communication with the parents was nonexistent. The OP tried to call and text for instructions as none were given, but they were left unanswered. The following day when the OP returned, there was a pileup of rotting trash, which had attracted flies.
Add in the surprise appearance of a teenage daughter who had been absent all along—but in the real sense, had actually been in the house since they started babysitting—but wasn’t mentioned by the parents.
A nagging feeling that there could have been something deeper at play came when one of the children pleaded for them not to go home. This was when the OP decided they couldn’t ignore the signs anymore.
It wasn’t paranoia. The OP worked at a daycare and has formal training in recognizing neglect. In their professional opinion, the home environment was unsafe, and this led them to report the situation to CPS.
After the report, the babysitter was criticized from all corners. Their former boss—who had recommended them for the job—texted angrily asking if they had really involved CPS. Meanwhile, the OP’s parents also accused them of overstepping, arguing that some families “just live in filth” but are still good parents.
Image credits: lobachad / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Act For Kids explains that neglect happens when a child’s basic needs aren’t being met, and that some signs of neglect include poor hygiene (like body odor, dirty skin), malnutrition or frequent hunger, a lack of proper clothing, or being frequently late to school.
It wasn’t surprising that the OP suspected that there was a case of neglect. However, did they have a right to involve CPS?
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families states that anyone who believes a child has experienced neglect is actually legally expected to report it. And while anyone can, there is a group of professionals who are mandated to report.
These professionals include medical practitioners, therapists and psychologists, school staff, and childcare providers. Since the OP worked in daycare, they were well within their rights to report the situation.
It was not abnormal for the OP’s parents to criticize them for reporting to CPS. According to Taylor English, one reason people often hesitate to make reports is due to negative past experiences of a “lack of follow-up, or seeing the children placed in worse conditions.”
Netizens rallied around the OP and affirmed that they did nothing wrong in reporting the children’s living conditions to CPS. They also applauded their decision, pointing out that reporting their concerns wasn’t an accusation but a step toward ensuring the children’s safety.
For the OP, it wasn’t necessarily about the messy home, but more about the unsafe living conditions for the children. Do you think they were justified in calling CPS? We would love to hear your thoughts!
Netizens mentioned that as a daycare worker, they were legally mandated to report neglect
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What do you think ?
Sunny Day 1 week ago
If there was no problem with the house, then CPS would close the case and quietly go away. If they didnt....
Thanos'Fingers 6 days ago
Even with a major problem in the house, chances are better than good that CPS closes the case and quietly goes away. They're good at that part.
Load More Replies...
Becky Samuel 1 week ago
Can we have one of these that isn't a clear cut decision just once in a while? I don't even know what this article is supposed to accomplish other than filling the front page. Lazy articles like this make me so much less likely to want to be here, and Boredpanda are certainly trying their absolute hardest to enshittify this site to death. (P.S. If you're looking for your notifications you can find them hidden away in the drop-down menu)
Tiger 1 week ago
Thank you, I was wondering where my notifications went. This site is really becoming garbage eh. It’s like the new Buzzfeed, I hate it.
Load More Replies...
Major Harris 1 week ago
what the heck is wrong with HER parents? that "home" is a clear HEALTH HAZARD to those kids!
Tabitha 1 week ago
Even if the house and children were immaculately clean, when the kids beg the babysitter, who they just barely met, not to leave when their parents get home, you know damned well there’s a problem and social workers need to be brought in.
Bi.Felicia 1 week ago (edited)
I also have had kids, that I have just met, hours prior, beg me not to leave either, once their parents return home and I'm done babysitting. These kids lived in a clean house, with food in the cabinets and they weren't dirty/smelly. The only thing that the mom might be lacking, is not being able to spend as much quality time with her kids, as she would like, due to constantly working, as a single parent. So these kids loved that I was there and spent my entire time, having fun and giving them my constant attention. That's why they didn't want me to leave bc I was fun and not mom but I was also getting paid to do all this. I do genuinely enjoy my time with kids and have fun but I'm also there to do a job and go home. Social workers do not need to be brought in, just bc the kids beg you to stay, in all cases, just use your best judgement.
Load More Replies... JD 1 week ago
No, this is not a "poor" people thing. I come from poor people and I've known lots of poor people. Poor folks can clean up after themselves, they know when to put food away, clean dishes, etc. This was neglect and an unsafe environment for children. Rotting food, especially milk, can be hazardous. All that food is also attracting pests, and may someday attract wildlife if it persists. This isn't "you caught us at a bad time" because some of what she described would take weeks, months to develop.
BrownEyedPanda 1 week ago
Exactly! In high school and in my early 20's, my father, siblings, and I were what you would call "poor people." Never did we live in filth of any kind, even though my father's monthly social security check was the only income. Had that been the case, my siblings and I would have ended up right back in foster care, probably until we aged out. Yes, we weren't as affluent as most, but we were responsible people, and still are. The children in this post were at the mercy of neglectful parents. Most likely, OP'S former boss was well aware of the situation, and believed that by bringing OP in, it would be kept quiet. By all rights, OP deserves to run her own daycare. She's what every (responsible) parent wants in a childcare worker.
Load More Replies... brandyy17 1 week ago
i was in this situation once. i was just a normal baby sitter tho for friends and family. like i knew all the kids already and they knew me. i had never been to one of my friends house before but this one time she asked if i could come over instead of her bringing her kid to me like she normally does. may i add this friend was the only one who brought her kid to me. everyone else i went to their house. i learned very quickly y my friend never asked me to come over to babysit. she was gone before i even got there. she 2 year old was just roaming around wen i walked in the house. her house was a total mess. it looked like she just moved watever was on the floor to the sides so id have room to walk. her floor was super sticky and looked like it hadnt been cleaned in years. i called her and asked about the mess and she told me she never has time to clean and her husband is either working or going out after work or asleep due to work. i asked her if she plans on taking a few days to clean at least some of it up. she told me she never thought about it and doesnt think she can. the longer i spent there the worse it got until i started getting dizzy and the child kept falling asleep randomly i went outside and called the fire department incase it was some sort of dangerous gas. turned out there was indeed a gas leak and from wat they said it had been leaking for awhile but due to the mess in the house it was slowly leaking in. my friend always told me her kid was very calm the past few months but was a little monster at my house. i learned y her kid was so different that day. he fire department ended up being the one to call cps due to the mess and all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms had no batteries in them. both me and the child had to get checked for carbon monoxide poisining since i didnt smell anything. i was fine but the child did have a few things wrong due to prolonged exposure. my friend saying the beeping from the alarms got annoying aka low battery beeping so she took out all their batteries. bc she said that it determined the fate of her child who was taken in by another friend. cps asked of they could care for the child until they find a suitable family. in the end my other friend became the childs new legal guardian and gave our friend visitation rights. my friend now has a different job and divorced her husband. she has a new place and yes it is a total mess but she did learn to make sure the alarms have good batteries in them.
Bi.Felicia 1 week ago (edited)
Wow, I'm glad that you're okay and I hope the 2 year old didn't/doesn't suffer from any long term effects, due to the carbon monoxide exposure. That mom is lucky she has such an amazing friend, that was willing to be a safe/loving guardian, to her child. Unfortunately, it seems like she didn't learn much, after the divorce and moving into a new place, without a toddler making messes, you would think she would start off with a clean house, that she would just have to maintain. To show that she is capable of providing, a safe/clean house, for her kid to grow up in. Which is a requirement to have a chance of getting custody back, if wanted. I wish the best to everyone.
Load More Replies...
Big Chungus 1 week ago
Sometimes people need CPS to come in and help with kids so parents can get back on their feet financially and/or mentally. It is not always a bad thing with CPS involved. They can provide a lot of needed help.
BrownEyedPanda 1 week ago
True. Sometimes the parents just don't have the familial support which, in my opinion, is far more important than throwing money at the issue.
Load More Replies...
Michelle C 1 week ago (edited)
If in doubt, always be prepared to make a good-faith report. There are no legal repercussions for those who make reports in good faith.
Brian Droste 1 week ago
I never worked in daycare or health care myself but the conditions OP described I would have done the same thing. Young kids or any minors should not have to live in such filth.
GalPalAl 1 week ago
How does someone you know send you to babysit for someone who lives in that condition? Maybe that person doesn't know, but shame on them for calling to harass OP. It is not the babysitter's job to ask the parents why their house in disrepair and police the situation. Many of the issues mentioned don't seem like accidents or people being busy. They do sound and probably look like neglect. Hoarders get away with this kind of behavior all the time, so it's not a stretch to think it could be a precursor to that.
Kim Shannon 5 days ago
NTA. Those kids are living in neglectful, unsanitary conditions. Unacceptable.
Joanne Earle 1 week ago
Our grandsons live in utter squalor too. Of course we haven;t seen them in over 3 years due to a falling out w/ my stepson, but his lazy girlfriend just sits on her butt all day on her phone and the place was absolutely disgusting every time we went there.
Sunny Day 1 week ago
If there was no problem with the house, then CPS would close the case and quietly go away. If they didnt....
Thanos'Fingers 6 days ago
Even with a major problem in the house, chances are better than good that CPS closes the case and quietly goes away. They're good at that part.
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 1 week ago
Can we have one of these that isn't a clear cut decision just once in a while? I don't even know what this article is supposed to accomplish other than filling the front page. Lazy articles like this make me so much less likely to want to be here, and Boredpanda are certainly trying their absolute hardest to enshittify this site to death. (P.S. If you're looking for your notifications you can find them hidden away in the drop-down menu)
Tiger 1 week ago
Thank you, I was wondering where my notifications went. This site is really becoming garbage eh. It’s like the new Buzzfeed, I hate it.
Load More Replies... Major Harris 1 week ago
what the heck is wrong with HER parents? that "home" is a clear HEALTH HAZARD to those kids!
Tabitha 1 week ago
Even if the house and children were immaculately clean, when the kids beg the babysitter, who they just barely met, not to leave when their parents get home, you know damned well there’s a problem and social workers need to be brought in.
Bi.Felicia 1 week ago (edited)
I also have had kids, that I have just met, hours prior, beg me not to leave either, once their parents return home and I'm done babysitting. These kids lived in a clean house, with food in the cabinets and they weren't dirty/smelly. The only thing that the mom might be lacking, is not being able to spend as much quality time with her kids, as she would like, due to constantly working, as a single parent. So these kids loved that I was there and spent my entire time, having fun and giving them my constant attention. That's why they didn't want me to leave bc I was fun and not mom but I was also getting paid to do all this. I do genuinely enjoy my time with kids and have fun but I'm also there to do a job and go home. Social workers do not need to be brought in, just bc the kids beg you to stay, in all cases, just use your best judgement.
Load More Replies... JD 1 week ago
No, this is not a "poor" people thing. I come from poor people and I've known lots of poor people. Poor folks can clean up after themselves, they know when to put food away, clean dishes, etc. This was neglect and an unsafe environment for children. Rotting food, especially milk, can be hazardous. All that food is also attracting pests, and may someday attract wildlife if it persists. This isn't "you caught us at a bad time" because some of what she described would take weeks, months to develop.
BrownEyedPanda 1 week ago
Exactly! In high school and in my early 20's, my father, siblings, and I were what you would call "poor people." Never did we live in filth of any kind, even though my father's monthly social security check was the only income. Had that been the case, my siblings and I would have ended up right back in foster care, probably until we aged out. Yes, we weren't as affluent as most, but we were responsible people, and still are. The children in this post were at the mercy of neglectful parents. Most likely, OP'S former boss was well aware of the situation, and believed that by bringing OP in, it would be kept quiet. By all rights, OP deserves to run her own daycare. She's what every (responsible) parent wants in a childcare worker.
Load More Replies... brandyy17 1 week ago
i was in this situation once. i was just a normal baby sitter tho for friends and family. like i knew all the kids already and they knew me. i had never been to one of my friends house before but this one time she asked if i could come over instead of her bringing her kid to me like she normally does. may i add this friend was the only one who brought her kid to me. everyone else i went to their house. i learned very quickly y my friend never asked me to come over to babysit. she was gone before i even got there. she 2 year old was just roaming around wen i walked in the house. her house was a total mess. it looked like she just moved watever was on the floor to the sides so id have room to walk. her floor was super sticky and looked like it hadnt been cleaned in years. i called her and asked about the mess and she told me she never has time to clean and her husband is either working or going out after work or asleep due to work. i asked her if she plans on taking a few days to clean at least some of it up. she told me she never thought about it and doesnt think she can. the longer i spent there the worse it got until i started getting dizzy and the child kept falling asleep randomly i went outside and called the fire department incase it was some sort of dangerous gas. turned out there was indeed a gas leak and from wat they said it had been leaking for awhile but due to the mess in the house it was slowly leaking in. my friend always told me her kid was very calm the past few months but was a little monster at my house. i learned y her kid was so different that day. he fire department ended up being the one to call cps due to the mess and all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms had no batteries in them. both me and the child had to get checked for carbon monoxide poisining since i didnt smell anything. i was fine but the child did have a few things wrong due to prolonged exposure. my friend saying the beeping from the alarms got annoying aka low battery beeping so she took out all their batteries. bc she said that it determined the fate of her child who was taken in by another friend. cps asked of they could care for the child until they find a suitable family. in the end my other friend became the childs new legal guardian and gave our friend visitation rights. my friend now has a different job and divorced her husband. she has a new place and yes it is a total mess but she did learn to make sure the alarms have good batteries in them.
Bi.Felicia 1 week ago (edited)
Wow, I'm glad that you're okay and I hope the 2 year old didn't/doesn't suffer from any long term effects, due to the carbon monoxide exposure. That mom is lucky she has such an amazing friend, that was willing to be a safe/loving guardian, to her child. Unfortunately, it seems like she didn't learn much, after the divorce and moving into a new place, without a toddler making messes, you would think she would start off with a clean house, that she would just have to maintain. To show that she is capable of providing, a safe/clean house, for her kid to grow up in. Which is a requirement to have a chance of getting custody back, if wanted. I wish the best to everyone.
Load More Replies... Big Chungus 1 week ago
Sometimes people need CPS to come in and help with kids so parents can get back on their feet financially and/or mentally. It is not always a bad thing with CPS involved. They can provide a lot of needed help.
BrownEyedPanda 1 week ago
True. Sometimes the parents just don't have the familial support which, in my opinion, is far more important than throwing money at the issue.
Load More Replies... Michelle C 1 week ago (edited)
If in doubt, always be prepared to make a good-faith report. There are no legal repercussions for those who make reports in good faith.
Brian Droste 1 week ago
I never worked in daycare or health care myself but the conditions OP described I would have done the same thing. Young kids or any minors should not have to live in such filth.
GalPalAl 1 week ago
How does someone you know send you to babysit for someone who lives in that condition? Maybe that person doesn't know, but shame on them for calling to harass OP. It is not the babysitter's job to ask the parents why their house in disrepair and police the situation. Many of the issues mentioned don't seem like accidents or people being busy. They do sound and probably look like neglect. Hoarders get away with this kind of behavior all the time, so it's not a stretch to think it could be a precursor to that.
Kim Shannon 5 days ago
NTA. Those kids are living in neglectful, unsanitary conditions. Unacceptable.
Joanne Earle 1 week ago
Our grandsons live in utter squalor too. Of course we haven;t seen them in over 3 years due to a falling out w/ my stepson, but his lazy girlfriend just sits on her butt all day on her phone and the place was absolutely disgusting every time we went there.
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