Child Services

Every year at training, we talk about what it means to be a mandated reporter (which we are). If a child tells us that they are being hurt, or if we witness evidence of a child being hurt, we are required, by law, to report it. In 11 years of working with kids, I have never been in this situation.

Until yesterday.

One of the campers got picked up a day early by her mom and grandma. She had a meltdown, as is common with tired 8 years olds. Grandma responded by hitting her several times, pushing her to the ground, grabbing her by the face and screaming at her.

I didn't witness any of that. I was at the talent show, listening to a very painful rendition of "Party in the USA" by a 7 year old, when Counselor A came running, looking frantic and whispered the situation to me. S &A were both gone, so I grabbed the closest counselor to me, handed her the list of acts and told her she was in charge.

When I walked out to the front of camp, one of the MFLCs (both of whom are licensed therapists), was calming the mom down and the other one explained the situation to me. Nurse J took the child into the Health Center to examine her and we listened to Counselor A's description again.

The mom assured us that the child never sees the grandma and it never happens and blah blah. When Nurse J came out, she let us know the child had marks on her face. AWFUL.

Eventually we let them go since we legally can't hold them and we made the decision the child wasn't in immediate danger. I spent the next few hours on the phone with the sheriff, talking to the National Military Family Association, calming Counselor A down, and reassuring all the staff that nothing was going on and everything was fine (despite my mid-talent show exit).

This morning, I was on the phone with child protection and filed a report. I hope that it was a one time thing and they go out and visit the family and find nothing. I have a difficult time imagining the alternative. I know families are under a lot of stress when one parent is deployed, and I know that children are abused every day. But this is the first time I have had such a close encounter with it and it makes me sick to my stomach. I'm ready for this week to be over, I'm exhausted.