Parents Arrested After Child Found Abandoned Outside Disney Ride

[rosiep]

Not to minimize this situation at all as there is no excuse...my wife and I are both social workers with children's services and are federal employees. Most people go unaware of this type of behavior yet it happens daily! I see more abuse in a day than most will ever see in a lifetime. However, it goes mostly unreported until something happens like this at "Disney World" or some other attention worthy place in the media's eyes. The truth here is that, God forbid, they are going to find out there is a history of neglect and/or abuse and this situation, horrible as it is, probably saved this girl from a lifetime of problems. The kids will be removed and the parents will have to work a case plan with supervision to ever have these kids back home. Now I know, I will hear flack about splitting up families or something like that, but we are here to protect children from parents who to often don't have any business having kids!

You have a good point, if this was the incident that draws CS to the family then it may have saved her from a lifetime of misery.
Bless you for the work you do, I think it's such a difficult job with so little resourses. Bravo to you

 

[tinkgurl]

How horrible!

I've stopped to help on numerous occassions when kids are lost and can't find their parents. Until we find their parents, I have that sickening feeling in my stomach. One little boy had gotten off the carousel and couldn't find his parents. So we walked around the carousel with him to see if he could see them. No sign of them. He tried to explain what they looked like, so I scanned Fantasyland-hoping to see two adults frantic and looking for their child. Finally, after an hour and a half of waiting in Fantasyland around the carousel with the boy and a CM, the CM let my family go and let us know he was in good hands. Never did get to find out what happened. I could never imagine not having an eye on my children while at WDW!

 

[LilGMom]

Not to minimize this situation at all as there is no excuse...my wife and I are both social workers with children's services and are federal employees. Most people go unaware of this type of behavior yet it happens daily! I see more abuse in a day than most will ever see in a lifetime.

It does happen too often and people don't seem to either realize or care just how big of a risk they are taking. Here, in Florida, they are about to make the penalty stiffer for leaving a child unattended in a car. I can't remember the specifics but the I remember thinking that the penalty wasn't stiff enough. I was told of a friend's relative that left her sleeping infant in the car at mall so that she could go shopping. You've got to be nuts to do that.

 

[Barbers2005]

It does happen too often and people don't seem to either realize or care just how big of a risk they are taking. Here, in Florida, they are about to make the penalty stiffer for leaving a child unattended in a car. I can't remember the specifics but the I remember thinking that the penalty wasn't stiff enough. I was told of a friend's relative that left her sleeping infant in the car at mall so that she could go shopping. You've got to be nuts to do that.

A few years ago a 19 year old left her child in the car while she went to classes at our local community college. It was a very harsh winter day, and the baby died. Her excuse- I didn't have a babysitter. It's horrible that people can do that and even worse that they see nothing wrong in leaving their children alone and exposed to the elements.

 

[JPoppins]

I can't tell you how many times I have had the dream of losing my child in a crowded place, this was probably my biggest fear (and still is and he's 16 now!) being a mom. I can not believe that they would just leave her out there and not even notice for 2 hours!!!! She's 3 people!!!

Their behavior was outrageous and examples should be made of them to others (cultural or not) who would leave a child unattended in a stroller for any length of time, let alone hours.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

You would be shocked at how many kids grew up in my house without me ever meeting their parents or hardly ever. I was a 4-H leader and one mom dropped her baby off at my house at noon cause her older sibling was coming to a meeting after school. I had never met the mom before and she did not ask, she just left the baby on a chair. I was and remain speechless!!

There are far too many parents who do not care what their kids do as long as they do not do it near them.

My sil and dd once forgot their child at daycare because they each thought the other was picking him up and it still brings tears to my dd eyes to think about it. I bet that is a common occurence nowadays.

My heart goes out to that poor baby. I am surprised that the CM's did not see her as they are constantly moving strollers around and such. I hope the parents learned something but somehow I doubt it. Bet they remembered to take their camera or other 'valuables" with them.

I have put lojacks on all of my grandkids. Not taking any chances.

Slightly Goofy

 

[PrincessMinnie28]

We saw 2 cases simillar to this when we were there Aug 05. DS was only 6 mos so I stayed at the baby center the entire time to keep him cool. Now one day in Epcot there was an 8 yr old that I was speaking to. He had been found by cms and taken to the b.c. He said his parents were in line for Mission Space and he had to potty. They told him to go alone and when he returned they were gone. Hw was at the b.c. fo 6 hours! When I asked the cm about calling CPS he said Disney does not allow them to do this.

Two days later we were at M.K. and there was a lady demanding that she be reimbursed for missing her plane. You see she had dropped her 9 and 6 yr old off at the M.K. She could not afford to go with them so she let them go alone. Now they were not given any money so when the little one went to a cm looking for food they found out they were there w.put parents and were brought to the b.c. The mother was OUTRAGED that the girls were not outside when they were supposed to be so they missed her plane. She expected Disney to reimburse her and yes management was helping her out.

I think these type of situations must happen often at Disney and I think it is a shame they do not report more of these incidents.

Um, I was not allowed to go to a different store in the mall than the one my parents were in when I was 6, 8, or 9. How could someone just let their child roam around in a place they are not familiar with? Moreover, I already said this in a previous post, but it would be so easy for someone to just grab the kid and vanish into thin air. Unbelievable.

 

[disneymom99]

 

[DopeyKel]

How can you not know where your children are--especially a 3 yr old . If I go somewhere with only two of my kids (they are 16, 14, and 12) I'm constantly looking for the third.

 

[wehavesix]

We adopted our 4 youngest kids from foster care. One of the events that led to them being removed from the birth parents' care was that they were left in a parked car in the middle of the summer. There were several other things but that was the one that really started the ball rolling. At that time they were all under the age of 3. Fortunately they survived and are now thriving at ages 10. 11, 12, and 13.

Sadly, this kind of thing happens all too often. To see it happen in a place like WDW is shocking though. I guess I'm surprised to realize that these people went to the effort to take their kids to WDW, yet seem to have so little concern for their safety. That's weird to me. Like others here, we are constantly herding our gang. Usually dh or I take the lead, kids in the middle, and dh or I in the rear if we have to be in a que or are going through a crowd. All 4 kids must be in our line of sight at all times and we never let anyone go to the bathroom alone. It's just common sense but that's sadly lacking with some folks, isn't it?

 

[DisneyGuess]

 

[AmberI]

I hope they lose their kid too. Then my tax money can go to something better. I'm glad the girl is ok and I hope she'll get better parents.

 

[Dizneydaz]

I have another story-about a year ago my DM, Dsis, and I were going to get some lunch. We walked by a car, in the parking lot, that was running. I looked inside to see 3 kids, inc. an infant in a car seat! We looked around and there wasn't anyone walking towards the car. We called the police from our cel phones and while still talking to them, a woman exited a beauty supply store and came towards the car. Both my DM and I asked her if these were her kids? She looked at us liked she didn't understand the question. We started telling her (loudly) that you can't leave children, unattended, in a car. It's not safe, and it's illegal. She just gave use this "it's non of your business look" and drove off. After she left I wondered if they were even her kids. The were of a different nationality and I have a suspicion that she was their nanny! If so, I'm sure the mother was unaware of the fact that her kids were being left in danger, like that. Also, I realized that all someone had to do was jump into the car and take off. Newer model cars won't let you lock the doors while the car is running.

I was upset about it for hours, I couldn't believe how stupid that woman was! Fortunately for her, the police didn't have a chance to arrive.

 

[tarheel618]

I'd have to do serious harm to someone if they left my child in a car unattended.

 

[undertheseas]

I can't imagine how scared and lonely and frightened and sick that poor little girl had to feel before she passed out. My prayers really go out to her. Thank God for the person who noticed her.

My kids get mad that I make them hold our hand when we're in the park, I'm so afraid they will get distracted and lose us in the crowd. She couldn't be so big they couldn't carry her into the ride.

 

[disphoto]

Disney's own policy is very relaxed for unsupervised children. I know it is under 10 to be allowed to walk around alone.

I am going this summer with dd (11) and dsis (17) year old. The 17 has never been before, I may let them wander, but they both have cell phones. I would NEVER let dd (11) walk around the park with a friend of the same age, too young.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Wow...that's just so sad.

Thoughtlessness just drives me nuts.

 

[lyzziesmom]

Disney's own policy is very relaxed for unsupervised children. I know it is under 10 to be allowed to walk around alone.

I am going this summer with dd (11) and dsis (17) year old. The 17 has never been before, I may let them wander, but they both have cell phones. I would NEVER let dd (11) walk around the park with a friend of the same age, too young.

Seven. The age limit for a child allowed to ride and be in a park without an adult at WDW is 7 years old. I find this completely ridiculous. I *might* under certain circumstances let my DD8 ride something with a friend her own age, but you'd better believe I would be right there at the exit. She's done this twice at a local park, and only if the line is very short and the line and ride are all outdoors where I can see her at all times.

Never should a young child be left alone the way these people left their little girl. I'm glad she got taken away, and I hope the other children were taken as well. I think these parents are big fat liars, there's no way you can "forget" your child for that long. She was in the sun 45-60 minutes before she was found, and it was another 50 minutes before the parents came looking for her. Even IF the parents were not together in the line, how could the father move the stroller and still not see her sleeping in it?? Outrageous.

 

[dyna]

It makes me wonder WHY the poor kid was sleepin in stroller I know if I stay in my pool in the hot sun to long I tend to get very sleepy. How long had it been since this kid had a drink of cold water a drink of any kind?

I knew of a family who went to disney with their 13 yr old who was mentally retarded and she was told to stay with them an not wander to watch where they went an etc. When she came up missing they didn't bother to look for her till the park closed she'd been in the baby care center since about 10 am.

This didn't just happen 1 day but the whole week they was at disney. I no longer talk with that family cause it disgusted me so much the way that child was done at disney among a few other reasons. Thank goodness soon after they returned from disney they did have the good since to put the mentally retarded child in a group home where she was taken care of.

The mom of this family had passed away the oldest child was pretty much left to raise the younger ones she was 19 with the youngest being about 9 at the time the mom died. The oldest girl got married left home she was about 21 at the time maybe a little older. Anyway the youngest child was then left to get himself off to school of course then he didn't go to school.

Well the oldest girl moved him in with her took him to school he walked in 1 door an out another still didn't go to school. Eventually he an 3 other boys came up missing by this time he was like 14. The boys was found at the dads house after one of them threw a lite cigarette under the bed an caught house on fire.

4 boys had been in this mans house for a week he did not notice food missing but had missed some cigarettes thought he was just smoking more tho. The boys had free run of the house while he was at work all day when it was time for dad to come home they went hid in a bedroom in the house. Which really worked well till they set the house on fire and burned it to the ground!!!

I've wondered how someone could have 4 teenage boys living in their house for a week an not know they was there.

Some parents should never be allowed to breed

 

[sabrinadv1]

When we go anywhere with our children I am constantly counting and making them hold hands either with us or with each other. Not only would it have taken me two seconds to realize one was not there the other two would have noticed very quickly to. They are constantly watching out for each other. I can't believe that these parents didn't know they didn't have the little girl. If one of my three children is gone somewhere even with the other parent I always get the question where is my brother. I am inclined to think even if the parents didn't have their heads on straight one of the other children would have said something. Especially in a family where it seems they are probably responsible for their selves quite often. There's just no possible way that what five people didn't realize the little girl wasn't there. How can you move a stroller and not realize weight wise that the child was in there? We live with in throwing distance of my grandmother's house and I won't even let mine walk to her house with out me standing outside watching until they get in. It doesn't matter what country you are from this is just parental instincts.