Foster Parents Leave 2 & 4 Yr Olds in CBR Room Alone For Hours While They Go Swimming

[Seahunt]

Local news reports that:
Two foster parents are accused of leaving their children inside a hotel room at Disney World while they went swimming.

Investigators say Kimberly and Stephen Simmons left a two and four year old child inside a room at the Caribbean Beach Club Resort for several hours on Friday.

A hotel maid found the children.

The children are now in protective custody.

http://www.wftv.com/news/20101777/detail.html

 

[Breezie]

That is terrible. What person of average intelligence, would think that is even an option?!

Gah, I'll never understand some people.

 

[HunnyPots]

And to think, foster care is supposed to provide a protective, safe environment. Sounds like these kids got a bad deal all the way around...

 

[bgirldeb]

They were probably able to go to Disney due to the $ they get for being foster parents. Sad to say, some just do it for the income

 

[pyrxtc]

They were probably able to go to Disney due to the $ they get for being foster parents. Sad to say, some just do it for the income

Any foster parents I know, certainly do not get enough money so they can go to Disney on it ! They would probably do the same thing with their own kids too.

I hate when the paper only tells part of the story and everyone jumps to conclusions. It didn't say if their room opened up to the pool, how far away it was from the pool, wether the kids were sleeping or any details about the people themselves. I'm sure they ahd a good reason and they maybe left them alone with an older child ? or anything? maybe they didn't and they should be in trouble but to start speculating on how anyone you don't know affords their vacation is wrong.

 

[Lintasare]

Any foster parents I know, certainly do not get enough money so they can go to Disney on it ! They would probably do the same thing with their own kids too.

I hate when the paper only tells part of the story and everyone jumps to conclusions. It didn't say if their room opened up to the pool, how far away it was from the pool, wether the kids were sleeping or any details about the people themselves. I'm sure they ahd a good reason and they maybe left them alone with an older child ? or anything? maybe they didn't and they should be in trouble but to start speculating on how anyone you don't know affords their vacation is wrong.

Don't you think if the kids were being watched by an older child that would have been reported? In a case like this I think it would be reported. And if the kids were being watched by someone else why would the maid have reported them?

 

[Christine]

Nope, no excuse for that.

I stayed at the CBR. None of the rooms I saw were close enough to a pool to even consider leaving two small children alone.

God, what's wrong with people. Kids are hard. Watching them 24/7 is tedious and tiring and, yep, sometimes gets in the way of the good times you want to have. If this bothers you, don't have children nor become a foster parent.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

This may not be the practice here, but elsewhere in the world this is totally acceptable. Not making an excuse, but it happens.

Look at the Maddie McCann story. Her parents left the children in the room to eat dinner. I've in in Asia and Europe and often see strollers, with the babies still in them, unattended in front of stores and restaurants.

 

[Rora]

How awful. Thank goodness they are away from those foster parents.

 

[Nancy]

Don't you think if the kids were being watched by an older child that would have been reported? In a case like this I think it would be reported. And if the kids were being watched by someone else why would the maid have reported them?

Agree! If they were in the room with an older child as babysitter there would have been nothing for the maid to report and the kids would not have been taken away.

Even if they were sleeping why would you leave 2 small children all alone? If they were sleeping and woke up with no adult there don't you think they would be scared? Way too many "what ifs" to justify leaving little kids alone for any reason.

AND if you want to swim why wouldn't you take the kids with you and let them have some fun in the water too?

 

[Nancy]

This may not be the practice here, but elsewhere in the world this is totally acceptable. Not making an excuse, but it happens.

Look at the Maddie McCann story. Her parents left the children in the room to eat dinner. I've in in Asia and Europe and often see strollers, with the babies still in them, unattended in front of stores and restaurants.

That's true, but since these were foster kids and they were removed from the family we are not talking about people from Europe or Asia..we are talking about people from this country and since it is not the norm here there is no excuse.

 

[brittsmum1998]

Any foster parents I know, certainly do not get enough money so they can go to Disney on it ! They would probably do the same thing with their own kids too.

I hate when the paper only tells part of the story and everyone jumps to conclusions. It didn't say if their room opened up to the pool, how far away it was from the pool, wether the kids were sleeping or any details about the people themselves. I'm sure they ahd a good reason and they maybe left them alone with an older child ? or anything? maybe they didn't and they should be in trouble but to start speculating on how anyone you don't know affords their vacation is wrong.

Don't forget Childrens Services felt the need to put them into protective custody, so whatever part of the story was told was enough to warrant them being taken away.

When we went to MAP classes here in Massachusetts (classes you nd to take b4 becoming foster or addoptive parents) there were some real shady people in which you could tell they only wanted the money. There was a woman in this class who was married but we didn't find out until 6 wks into the class because he never came w/ her. There was no way they were going to be approved to foster. It takes all kinds I guess.

 

[Tink2000]

I do not feel leaving these 2 children alone in the hotel is a good thing by any means. I would not do this with my own child or my foster child. Yes, I am a foster parent and I take really offense to anyone that thinks the money a foster parent receives could pay for a disney trip. I would agree there are good foster parents and then there are bad ones. If people are so quick to judge that we do this for the money then why are there so many foster children still needing homes to be put in. I am sorry to get on my soap box but it is so easy to sit there and judge others when you have no idea what goes on with foster children and the problems they bring into the families they join. I do hope the children are lucky enough to get with a good family that will take care of their needs and love them as any child sould be.

 

[Saphire]

Yes, I am a foster parent and I take really offense to anyone that thinks the money a foster parent receives could pay for a disney trip.

I agree, with you, Tink2000. I am also a (new) foster parent and am paid by the state $17 a day to care for a precious infant 24/7, buy her clothes and diapers, and all equipment she needs (carseat, infant chair, mobile, stroller, toys, etc.) Unless you have a house full of foster kids, there is no money to be made in caring for these little ones that a need a home.

 

[Magic Mom]

I'm sure they ahd a good reason .

They were at the pool...what good reason could they have had? Emergency sun deprivation? Simultaneous delerium? A Michael Jackson sighting? Maybe the paper isn't reporting the whole story, but I can't imagine a good reason to leave your young children alone while you swim.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

How awful. Thank goodness they are away from those foster parents.

I agree there. If they do that on vacation, I wonder what they do at home where they are "comfortable"?

 

[Fintastic]

I hate when the paper only tells part of the story and everyone jumps to conclusions. It didn't say if their room opened up to the pool, how far away it was from the pool, wether the kids were sleeping or any details about the people themselves. I'm sure they ahd a good reason and they maybe left them alone with an older child ? or anything?

I'm sure Madeline McCann's parents had a "good reason" too.

 

[Seahunt]

Here's some additional info on this story. The 2nd floor balcony part scares me, though I don't know a 4 year old could open the door. BTW, it also says the foster mom is a school counselor! :

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said two children were left alone in a hotel room at the Caribbean Beach Club Resort for several hours on Friday while their guardians went to one of the resort's swimming pools.

Police said the children, ages 2 and 4, could have hurt themselves, walked away from the room, or have fallen from the second-floor balcony area. The bath tub, toilet and other items that could be harmful to children were not blocked off or hidden. Officials also said that there was no food or water available to the children. Police said that the children could have opened the door to the hotel room and wandered the grounds of the resort.

The guardians, Kimberly and Stephen Simmons, told officials that they have left the children unattended before, police said.

The children have since been placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

The children were found alone when housekeeping employees opened room number 1259 at about 2:20 p.m. to clean the room, police said. Upon entering, police said the housekeepers found a 2-year-old girl wearing only a diaper and a 4-year-old boy wearing only underpants alone in the second-floor room.

According to the police report, an employee waited for about 5 minutes for an adult to return to the room, and when no one did she called her supervisor to report the incident.

Security officials from Walt Disney World contact the OSCO to report that the two children were alone with no adults in the area. Disney security also searched the resort to find the people who had rented the room.

According to police, the guests were located at one of the resort's swimming pools at about 4:15 p.m. and were asked to return to the room.

Kimberly Simmons, who told police she was a counselor at a school in Michigan, told police that she was aware the children were alone in the room. According to a report, she had stated that she put them down for a nap and then went to the swimming pool for a few hours.

Police said Simmons' husband, Stephen, also said he was OK with leaving the children unattended.

According to police, both of the children were foster children and had been in the Simmons' care for the past 23 months.

 

[teacherforhi]

Here's some additional info on this story. The 2nd floor balcony part scares me, though I don't know a 4 year old could open the door. BTW, it also says the foster mom is a school counselor!

Depending on the door they could. When we went on vacation this summer, my three-year-old nephew discovered he was able to open the door and run to the elevator to push the button.

 

[DebIreland]

According to the police report, an employee waited for about 5 minutes for an adult to return to the room, and when no one did she called her supervisor to report the incident.

Good for her! She potentially saved their lives. On top of everything else, the children were left with no food and water for hours on end. Sick.

This may not be the practice here, but elsewhere in the world this is totally acceptable. Not making an excuse, but it happens.

Look at the Maddie McCann story. Her parents left the children in the room to eat dinner. I've in in Asia and Europe and often see strollers, with the babies still in them, unattended in front of stores and restaurants.

Oh for heaven's sake, that's not true at all. Abandoning kids isn't a cultural thing, it's a negligent parent thing.

Madeline McCann. God bless her, was one case - a horrible, heart-breaking case. That doesn't mean everyone in Europe (or Asia) does it. That would be like me reading this latest CBR story and assuming all American parents (incl foster parents) do this.

I'm in Europe. I can assure you child safety is a big priority for the vast majority of parents here.