How young is too young?

[cannongal]

Taken from: http://www.wjbf.com/story/25915218/north...ds-a-child

A North Augusta mother has been charged with Unlawful Conduct Towards a Child.

Debra Lynn Harrell, 46, of the 1200 block of Weston Street, was charged after it was found that she left her 9-year-old daughter to play in a park while she was at work. She was arrested Monday afternoon.

According to a North Augusta Department of Public Safety (NADPS) police report, a woman noticed a small black girl playing at a park on the 700 block of Old Edgefield Road, in North Augusta, around 9:30 a.m. Monday morning.

The woman told an officer she did not notice an adult in the area. She said she left the park to go to work. The woman said the little girl was still at the park when she got off of work.

The woman said she asked the little girl where her parents was, and the little girl reportedly told her that her mother dropped her off at the park Monday morning before going to work. The child reportedly went on to tell the woman that she is dropped off all the time to play at the park while her mother is at work.

When the woman asked the little girl what she eats for lunch, the girl said the "Feed A Child" people come by or she walks over to McDonalds in Wal-Mart.

The officer met with the child and the child told the officer the same story about being dropped off at the park. The child also told the officer that no adult was at the park with her.

The child was taken to NADPS headquarters. Harrell was contacted by officers and, once she arrived, was questioned and confessed to left her child.

Harrell was booked on the charged with Unlawful Conduct Towards a Child. The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) took custody of the little girl.

********************************************

I really don't get it. Arresting the mother for working?

My kids were alone outside at 9 years old. They'd check in every few hours (like the girl did, going to the McD's for lunch). I guess that means I'm a bad mother too.

[crash]

Jesus fucking wept..

Really? You're having a lend right?

[Carsman]

Taken from: http://www.wjbf.com/story/25915218/north...ds-a-child

A North Augusta mother has been charged with Unlawful Conduct Towards a Child.

Debra Lynn Harrell, 46, of the 1200 block of Weston Street, was charged after it was found that she left her 9-year-old daughter to play in a park while she was at work. She was arrested Monday afternoon.

According to a North Augusta Department of Public Safety (NADPS) police report, a woman noticed a small black girl playing at a park on the 700 block of Old Edgefield Road, in North Augusta, around 9:30 a.m. Monday morning.

The woman told an officer she did not notice an adult in the area. She said she left the park to go to work. The woman said the little girl was still at the park when she got off of work.

The woman said she asked the little girl where her parents was, and the little girl reportedly told her that her mother dropped her off at the park Monday morning before going to work. The child reportedly went on to tell the woman that she is dropped off all the time to play at the park while her mother is at work.

When the woman asked the little girl what she eats for lunch, the girl said the "Feed A Child" people come by or she walks over to McDonalds in Wal-Mart.

The officer met with the child and the child told the officer the same story about being dropped off at the park. The child also told the officer that no adult was at the park with her.

The child was taken to NADPS headquarters. Harrell was contacted by officers and, once she arrived, was questioned and confessed to left her child.

Harrell was booked on the charged with Unlawful Conduct Towards a Child. The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) took custody of the little girl.

********************************************

I really don't get it. Arresting the mother for working?

My kids were alone outside at 9 years old. They'd check in every few hours (like the girl did, going to the McD's for lunch). I guess that means I'm a bad mother too.

IMO, unfortunately, in today's world, there are way many weirdos out there that could harm that child. Especially if no one else was around, as what seemed to be the case. The mother set a pattern dropping her off, and fortunately for the little girl no weirdo got to her first! In a perfect world, it would not be a problem.

[cannongal]

Jesus fucking wept..

Really? You're having a lend right?

I tried to Google that-still not sure what it means, but if you think I'm crazy. you're probably right.
10 years or more ago, as it is still today, my nearest neighbor is a mile away. It never dawned on me not to let my (then) 9 year old bike all over town.

Cars is right, I suppose a more populated area requires more common sense. I didn't think of that when I first read the story, I thought about how stupid I thought it was to arrest a person for trying to make ends meet.

[Maggot]

kids that age ride their bikes, play in the street for hours around me. I have a hard time telling my son to tell me when he is going outside , he forgets sometimes. It depends on where you live.

[Duchess]

I think she's probably damned if she does & damned if she doesn't. She's trying to make a living & I would imagine she's not exactly comfortable leaving her daughter like that. There aren't a lot of options for single Moms raising their kids alone. Daycare/babysitters would probably take her whole paycheck. It's not a good idea but I think I understand.

[HairOfTheDog]

In the summer, we played outside and ran around til late at night when we were 9 and under. And, yep, we did encounter some real weirdos who could have been harmful if we weren't in a group.

I wouldn't let children in my care do that, but my parents were more the norm than the exception where we lived (we were in Los Angeles) back then, and we did have fun.

For me, under 13 is too young to be left alone without quick access to a parent, guardian, or caregiver. I might be overprotective though.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Yea, charging her isn't right. I was one of those kids at 9 I rode my bike all over town in the summer, miles from home

[sally]

Why not just leave the kid at the house and tell them not to go anywhere or open the door for anyone? That seems safer than leaving them alone at the park all day where some weirdo could abduct them.

[Cutz]

Why not just leave the kid at the house and tell them not to go anywhere or open the door for anyone? That seems safer than leaving them alone at the park all day where some weirdo could abduct them.

Dude, have you ever tried to abduct some kid from a park? It's crazy hard! The mommy brigade is so protective, you can't even get out of your windowless van before they've called the cops. They don't care if you're talking to their kid or someone else's, they'll still get all up in yo grill. Playgrounds are like the safest place in the world.

[HairOfTheDog]

I read about a woman in Phoenix who said she couldn't find a babysitter for her two youngest kids. So, she left them in a hot car with the windows rolled down about an inch while she attended a job interview.

Passerbys found the 2-year-old and 6 month-old sweating and crying; they called 911 and rescue workers arrived. Police charged her with felony child abuse and the story and her picture went viral.


Shanesha Taylor, 35

Well, this was just last month and so far people have donated $114,000 to her. And, today, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said his office and the 35-year-old mother of three have an agreement under which he'll dismiss the charges against her if she meets several conditions, including completing parenting and substance abuse treatment programs and using some of the donations to establish education and child care trust funds for her children.

I guess leaving a 9 year-old girl alone in a deserted park while you work is no worse than leaving babies alone in a hot car while you attempt to find work. Both dangerous, IMO.

[QueenBee]

I am torn. On one hand, I am on the "we did it when WE were young (playing out all day)" mindset. But on the other hand, there were fewer creeps and perverts out there. Plus in MY day, there were adult supervised rec programs at most, if not all, the local parks. So, yes, we could go, spend a few hours and come home.
I want to know how long was mom's work day, what happened if weather was bad and there was no shelter for the kid. What about a bathroom? Did mom have a "safe word" that kid and a trusted adult knew, if she sent someone else to get kid.
I don't know. I am just not sure I would do it today.
This case just screams for more employers to have on site day care, as part of benefits package for employees. Including places where lower income people may work (retail stores, food places)

[Carsman]

I am torn. On one hand, I am on the "we did it when WE were young (playing out all day)" mindset. But on the other hand, there were fewer creeps and perverts out there. Plus in MY day, there were adult supervised rec programs at most, if not all, the local parks. So, yes, we could go, spend a few hours and come home.
I want to know how long was mom's work day, what happened if weather was bad and there was no shelter for the kid. What about a bathroom? Did mom have a "safe word" that kid and a trusted adult knew, if she sent someone else to get kid.
I don't know. I am just not sure I would do it today.
This case just screams for more employers to have on site day care, as part of benefits package for employees. Including places where lower income people may work (retail stores, food places)

Agree, that would work. And really it S/B a mandatory requirement for larger companies/employer's who have say 10 or more employees.

[Duchess]

I don't think it should be required of employers to provide daycare for their employees. It's a fantastic perk, no doubt about it but I don't agree with making it mandatory.

[aussiefriend]

She's full of shit. She is a bad mother. In this day and age you DO NOT leave your children alone in a car for any reason. If you must, take them into the goddamn job interview with you.

In year one at Uni, the practical exams on the dummies were running late, it was after day care hours and i still had to be examined. My 2 ¹⁄₂ year old was running around that examination room and writing on the whiteboard, whilst I was being examined. No excuses for that stupid woman being a selfish bitch. I bet she is one of those horrible standover mothers that threatens her children.

How about donating some money to me for all the shit I had to put up with at Uni and juggle motherhood on my own. Nobody gave me anything for free. I did have 2 scholarships that helped but it was a pittance compared to what that bitch is getting. How much of that money will go on those kids. #retardcity

[Carsman]

I don't think it should be required of employers to provide daycare for their employees. It's a fantastic perk, no doubt about it but I don't agree with making it mandatory.

Many (large) companies tend to treat their employees as a "number", rather then as an actual person, it's very impersonal to the company.

The company looks at their profit goal as the "bottom line", and gives as few as possible employee benefits (perks) as they can get away with, that they can get the employee to swallow. It's nothing personal, it's just business.

When you think about it, the company as a perk could offer to subsidize the day care issue with their employees. Thereby making the employee contribute a sliding modest fee, depending on the number of children the employee drops off at the company day care center. Kinda splitting the cost, thus making it affordable to the employee, and also not a total bourdon on the company. (There has to be a better way then currently exists)

[HairOfTheDog]

In regards to the OP...

There are reportedly several day care options available to working parents in the area.

If Debra Harrell loves her children and doesn't abuse them, I'd rather see her required to attend parental courses (including day care options available) than see her prosecuted for abandonment or lose custody.

A legal analyst addresses the issues of the case in the second part of the video below.

[HairOfTheDog]

Debra Harrell has her daughter back in custody, but she was fired from McDonald's.

I don't know why she was fired -- McDonald's isn't commenting on the "human resources" issue.

I hope this woman didn't get arrested, temporarily lose her child, and get fired because she let a 9-year-old play in the park (with a cell phone for emergencies). Why not just address the child care issue and options with her if she's a fit enough mother to have custody?

Maybe there's more to the story? I'd like to see more details about the park, why the girl raised concern from the parent who called child services, etc...

Anyway, as is par for the course these days...since her story went viral, a donation account was set up for Harrell. They've raised over $30,000 so far.
http://www.youcaring.com/help-a-neighbor...ell/204837

[Duchess]

Sucks that she was fired. Given the number of people who are content to let the taxpayer support them you'd think she could have gotten a little help, like maybe an offer of daycare but of course not.

I'm off to open an account for Mock, maybe some random strangers will pay for our fun.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm off to open an account for Mock, maybe some random strangers will pay for our fun.

I know you're kidding, but I've seriously thought about how easy it must be for a slick con-person to come up with a believable hard luck story and rake in major dollars.

Still laughing about the potato salad guy who raised tens of thousands for a new recipe experiment on Facebook. He seemed legit and blown away by how much money he was able to collect in his fun endeavor -- no harm done.

I think there are probably a lot of scammers milking suckers on the many on-line donation sites. But, I do think it's truly cool that there's a fast accessible way for people to contribute money to help someone legitimately in need and make a difference in their lives.