Reply to Advice on possible domestic abuse/homeless scenario

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Also, if you go to the counselor be aware that s/he may be a mandated reporter and this could result in separating Larla from her mom. I would tread carefully. Personally I would try and get them to a shelter for battered women before reporting to authorities, because that might result in more resources and options for mother.

As for taking Larla in, think carefully about what you are capable of committing to and what it means for this family. Details such as time, and what ifs. This is a complex situation with no easy solutions. That doesn’t mean do nothing but be aware of offering something concrete that you can commit to vs acting from impulse.
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As a former teacher I disagree with this so much. Mandatory reporting is overwhelmingly a good thing. Larla might be separated from her abusive father or housed temporarily if the alternative is a car, but in this case she clearly has other family who will house her. The school counselor and/or a social worker will be much better equipped than this random, well-meaning mom to assist them if a shelter is appropriate. [/quote]

+1. I would start by trying to confirm that the story is basically true with the grandparents. If it is, I would 100% tell the school. FCPS is far from perfect, but the scenario described is actually dangerous and will become even more so when housing instability is added to the situation. It is far from clear that Larla should live with her dad or with her mom in a car rather than with other family members or even if foster care. Maybe mom is insisting on going with dad -- since it seems reasonable that grandparents would have kicked dad out; FCPS saying that Larla can't stay with the dad might be the best thing that ever happened to mom and Larla. Basically OP does not have enough information to know the "best" outcome here, but has enough to know that red flags about the current situation abound.[/quote]

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