r/IAmA•
SeattleShrew

I think I may have to call CPS on a hoarder's toddler... Advice?

My step-father's sister has a little boy, who is 3. She is in her mid 30s, is self employed and single. He is adorable, sweet and very shy. They live in a three bedroom 2500sq home on 10 acres of land, but she is a hoarder. She has a "business" selling items on eBay and I had no idea the extent of the hoarding until my mother and I came over to get a bicycle she said we could have.

There was garbage EVERYWHERE. Boxes of clothes, knickknacks, instruments, tools, broken electronics, plastic tubs filled with goodness knows what, hundreds of watches, clocks, mugs and dozens of empty beer bottles and cans. In the yard are about 7 visible cars on the land that are rusted without tires and lots of piles of things which are covered with tarps. It was truly shocking and extremely uncomfortable.

The boy doesn't have his own room, even though it is a 3 bedroom, because everywhere save for the living room is unlivable with garbage and junk. He has a fold-up crib in the living room next to the couch, where she sleeps. When we were there her power was cut off but she said she was getting it paid to have it back on, but my mom was skeptical because we know she isn't doing so well financially.

He comes to my mom and step dad's home a lot on the weekends and is always excited, speaks well, is potty trained but most times he's not very clean and his clothes are worn and too small. My mom is the only one who buys him new clothes, and she packs it up in his backpack for him when he goes back to my step-aunt.

When my step-aunt comes to pick him up he is terrified. He clings to my mom, holds her hand, looks up at her and says "Please, I stay here? I stay here? Please?" It breaks my mom's heart.

The mother seems to get great enjoyment in scaring him and think's it's hilarious. My mom said she had a hell of a time giving him a bath because he was so scared and crying. She asked the mother if he was burned, or what might have caused his fear and she laughed and told my mom "I told him he could get sucked down the drain haha, isn't that HYSTERICAL!? I can't believe he believes something so stupid!" She also made him fearful of cats and dogs telling him they want to eat him. My family has a kitten and he's scared to death of it.

My mom, step-dad and myself are the only ones concerned for his well being and my step-aunt's alcoholism. My step-dads parents just say she has a "sugar level problem" which is why she acts "strange". She has had fits of rage (a day after we took the bicycle she said we could have she called hysterical, calling us thieves and she needed it back and if we didn't she was calling the cops)

There are many more family members in the area, but all of them have no interest or are in complete denial of the situation. My mom has offered to pay for his day care while she "cleans up the place" but she was completely offended by the offer.

My step-father works 85% away on business out of the state and my mother just had back surgery and as much as they want to care for him, it's just not a real possibility. My step-dad is reluctant to get him into "the system" because we all know no other family member would step up, but as also know the odds of this situation improving is slim to none.

The last 6 months we've offered assistance, counseling, organizational tools etc but she is either in a drunken rage or sobbing uncontrollably at our "rudeness" and tells us it's just none of our business.

I'm afraid for this kid Reddit. Every time he comes over he is a little more dirty, a little more sad, a little more scared and he's always starving. He carries around a dirty Buzz Lightyear toy as his comfort and it just makes me so sad.

I would appreciate any words of advice, wisdom and experience.

TL:DR - My 3 year old nephew lives with his 30 year old hoarding mother, he is scared, dirty and hungry when he visits and no one else in the family gives a shit. Ideas?

EDIT I meant for this to go into Ask Reddit not AMA, apologies!

Posted Jul 22, 2011, 9:38 PM UTC · edited

848
Periwinkle1•

I'm not sure why you're stressing that she's a hoarder; her problems seem to run a lot deeper than that. This kid is in danger, man. It takes one more drunken rage or one more careless "mistake" before this poor child becomes a statistic for the local news. You are in a position to save his life. Just do it, FFS.

14
Feetos•

Dear God. Call a Family Law attorney and get some advice. Seriously. That baby needs help.

8
scubarob•

what the fuck are you waiting for??? Get a lawyer, go to CPS, and get the damn kid.

8
sweaver•

My advice is to call 1-866-ENDHARM now if you are in the Seattle area to report it. Give them all of the detail you have, and have others call in as well. The child protection workers won't always do a home visit on the first call. But if they start getting multiple calls about the same family, they'll be compelled to respond.

The sooner, the better.

http://www.dshs.wa.gov/endharm.shtml

8
SeattleShrewOP•

Thanks, that's really helpful. I just don't know her full last name (I know the maiden one, same as my step-dads) or her physical address which I think might hinder things... I know abouts where it is and I've tried googling her and her "business" to no avail

1
SeattleShrewOP•

Oops, EDIT: I found her on Facebook through a cousin...

1
TheStonedSexy•

Do it. He is obviously too young to do anything to help himself, and if you had the misfortune of growing up in an environment like that you would want a hero to speak for you. He is in some of his most formative and developmental years, and if someone fails to step in and help him his future will be completely molded by this situation. Give him an opportunity to lead a normal, healthy life. He deserves it.

7
curious_skeptic•

I wasn't sure until you typed out "drunk rage".

Single mom's shouldn't be getting drunk at home with their kid. End of story.

5
SeattleShrewOP•

My mom said one Sunday when he was supposed to pick him up, the mother called and said she couldn't pick him up because she was "sick" and if my mom could drop him off. My mom called bullshit, said she was drunk on the phone and said if she was too drunk to drive she was too drunk to watch him and hung up.

Next day aunt came, sober and acted like nothing had happened between her and my mom.

3
[deleted]•

[deleted]

5
[deleted]•

Her parents were probably just as bad. Parents like this have an awful effect on their children.

It deepens like a coastal shelf

1
goldgecko4•

"He is a little more dirty, a little more sad, a little more scared and he's always starving. He carries around a dirty Buzz Lightyear toy as his comfort."

That conjures an incredibly sad image... I really hope you do the right thing and help him out.

Think of it this way: if everything goes well, you'll be a hero! If not, you'll still be a hero, because you had the balls to help someone not capable of helping themselves.

5
jaguarlyra•

Call CPS.

4
SeattleShrewOP•

I've looked at this website

http://www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/safety/abusereport.asp

so many times, one thing that trips me up is I forget her last name (she's divorced with a really weird, long, unpronounceable last name) and I don't know her physical address (I've only been there once and wasn't paying attention)

I know this seems stupid but I know if I asked my mom both those questions she would know immediately what I was up to, and I've felt a bit of reluctantness from my parents about the whole thing because of their fear of "the system" like he'll be put in some foster home, bouncing around forever until he's 18. Neither of them will pull the trigger.

We have no idea what the process is after the call is made

1
natemc•

What county is this? I have a friend that works for Snohomish County CPS I would be glad to get you in touch with her.

6
SeattleShrewOP•

It's in Stanwood, I believe that is Snohomish County?

3
natemc•

It is. Can you shoot me an email, I'm leaving work now. I'll get a hold of her tonight and see what she thinks about the situation and what you should do.

reddit name @gmail.com

4
sweaver•

When you make a report, tell them that there is family willing to take him. In my state (and most others), attempts are always made to find a family placement first. The foster care system is overwhelmed with children, and if it means they have to find a foster home for one less child-then it works out for everybody.

3
PhantomPhun•

Ask around about his future to all the extended relatives as far as you can. You may be surprised at the number of people willing to adopt him once CPS pulls him out. No sense thinking only the worst. Or start now working some adoptive services to proactively get him placed with a better family if there is no alternative.

2
AMerrickanGirl•

Why don't you petition for custody of him then????????????????

1
SeattleShrewOP•

I'm 24 and live with a roommate and have no desire to have a child and the responsibility at the moment. I care about him but and his well being but I am not a qualified person.

3
AMerrickanGirl•

I meant your family (parents) ... can they help this poor kid?

1
tpaine76•

Please do call for this little boy's sake, he deserves to have a better life and be healthy. This is child abuse.

3
captainenema•

Yes Call CPS, file a report.. Chances are they'll place the little guy with your mom to keep him out of the system.

2
orthogonality•

The problem you face is that while many foster parents are well-intentioned, many others are just in it for the money.

You don't want the kid going from bad to worse.

2
thesheba•

Sounds like OP's mom would be a viable option as a placement. Whenever possible, we try to place kids with relatives or family friends. They do better if they are with people they are familiar with.

2
HappyTheHobo•

I'm hoping that there is family that is ready and willing to serve as foster parents in this case, which should be able to happen.

1
glitterfin•

you should def call cps. can you do it anonymously or maybe ask for discretion. in the UK you can. perhaps a wake up call is all she needs to help her change her ways. you know you need to do the right thing, any other action would prob proof useless as even her family are making excuses for her.

2
jennyroll•

report it. you're right to be concerned.

2
foobarak•

Call. Do it, do it today, do it now. Right now. Your gut is telling you something, let CPS figure out if you are right or wrong. That is their job. Do it now. Do not hesitate, do not second-guess if he really needs to get out, that is the job of CPS.

He could get seriously injured, end up emotionally detached, or worse wander off away to die. You do not want to live with the guilt. This is your job: Listen to your gut and call CPS, now.

Now. Stop reading, go call. Now.

2
BobbyPeru•

Holy crap! What are you waiting for?

2
peptidemel•

Call them right away.

2
ComfortGel•

Fucking call CPS. Put yourself in the kid's shoes - he's completely reliant on someone to take care of him AND NOBODY IS.

Fucking.

Call.

CPS.

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
djdontcare•

This child deserves to be in an environment that is stable. I grew up with an alcoholic mother, and she did her best with me and I had a loving and supportive dad, and even with that advantage it was still really hard growing up. I can imagine what things are like for this little boy, and it's bleak. It's obvious that you care, just take the next step. Get his mom's information and do it quickly, you can change his life! Even if he has to go into "the system", it is very possible that he will be adopted, since he is so young.

1