Afreind and I have been discussing the effects of telling docs about a concern we have with a family we know is in serious trouble,the women has a sort of mental disease which makes her act irrationally ,the man smokes pot and maybe does something else....they have little responsibility for themselves let alone anyone else,they drive without licences and speed all the time .The problem we have is we think we should contact docs as the women is about to have a baby and we think or are concerned that the baby might get neglected while there out the back getting stoned or her mental issues will put tthe bub in jepardy not to mention any withdrawel."What should we do"?
DO IT! Make that report. Here in Queensland, Australia, we have been rocked by the loss of 18 month old twins because neighbours didn't report their concerns. I'm sure it has been on the news if you are in Australia.
If you are concerned about the way other parents are raising their kids, then make the report! The worst thing that can happen is they tell you to keep your nose out of it, but this really sounds like there is a serious issue here and I would definitely be reporting it.
We have to stop the tragedies of the past week, and act on our concerns!!!!!!!!!
If you have not said anything yet to anyone, do it now. Go to anyone who you think might be able to help them, and especially the baby. Whom every you talk to about it, ask them who else you may need to talk to about the couple and the situation. Also try talking to the local hospital in the maternty or peds ward and ask them what they recomend that you do. Good luck, and I hope that you can get some help for the family...
You must tell everyone who needs to know.Doctor.Social services( who I would contact first if it was me).You can't sit back and wait for something to happen-it may be too late by then.
The thought has crossed my mind to inform the hospital where she has pre-natal checks,The reason we know this is cause we were aquaintances of these couple many years ago .Its scary cause you wonder if it turns out to not go through as anything too life threatening whether you could then be charged with false info,does that happen?
TELL TELL TELL... You say are talking about a family so i assume they already have atleast one child who you think is at risk with another on the way. These children are unable to speak up for themselves and i believe it is up to the people around them to advocate for them. Just look at what happened to the poor 18 month old twins from Brisbane, some of the neighbours said they had concerns about the family and now wish they had acted. DOCS don't just rush in and take away the children and they may be able to provide the family with services to help them out. You can remain anonymous, no one needs to know it was you and atleast if something does happen you know that you have done what you can to help these children.
i would give her a chance and then set a limit of time maybe a month or so but let her know you are there to help as and when she needs it as this is what she needs is friends i know where your coming from on the drugs thing as my partner was quite bad but as soon as skye was born within a week or so he gave up for her its been hard but he has finally shown some responsibility as for the driving always offer to take the mum and bub somewhere if your that worried i know i wouldnt want to let someone drive without a licence just in case anything happened i also have mental health issues but support and medication can help your friend a lot... let me know what you think as i say i can only write from her perspective....
It sounds like you and your friend have put a lot of thought into this. You don't say how you know all of this information and whether they have any other children.
DOCS do have pre-natal reports nowadays. They also have early intervention services to help families. If you are concerned about the baby's welfare, you can always call, anonymously to their helpline or your local DOCS office and speak to an Intake worker about your concerns and whether it constitutes a report or not.
The sad thing is, DOCS probably cannot do a lot just yet as they have not had the child & therefore have not neglected the child. Of course, it is certainly worth calling DOCS, by all means do so, they may be able to do something. If they can't though, wait until they have had the child & see what happens.
Driving without licences & speeding is not good, but it is not neglecting a child. There are many parents out there who do wrong things but still take care of kids. By the sounds of it, these 2 do not sound like they will be good parents, but you have to prove that when the time comes.
If you are sure they are into drugs make a report to police. You could also tell them that they drive without a licence & speed - maybe the police could keep an eye on them.
Good luck with it all. I hope DOCS can do something.
I guess it boils down to whether or not you really feel their may be a case to put forward. Are you willing to back it up with any evidence? Would it put yours, or your friend's family in any danger? If you don't tell, and something happens to the baby, how would you feel? Maybe you should try a parenting helpline in your area, or sound out someone from the DOCS helpline to see what they advise.
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