Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:look at the Post today, there is the story of a homeless woman with a two weeks old baby girl. the city provided shelter when it was cold. because now the temperature is above freezing, she was told she needs to find a place to stay on her own because shelters are full. she is a new mom, the baby is two weeks and on the streets. the reality is that a new mother on her own with a newborn cannot find a job (where is she going to leave the baby while she works?), so DC services should either take the baby away from her, or give the mother a shelter and help her get back on her feet (I think they should do the second, BTW). after the baby is dead that would be an outpouring of grief. what about doing something when she is still alive.

as for Relisha's mother, I pity her for the way she herself had to grow up, but cannot really have sympathy for her. she gave her daughter away to a stranger, lied for weeks to her family, lied to the school, provided the school with fake certificates excusing the absences. her child was with 50 yr old male stranger, missing school for weeks and that was OK for her? she lied to the social worker. she knew very well that what she had done was wrong, otherwise why lying to everybody including her family. clearly the guy prayed on very fragile and vulnerable people, but this does not excuse the mother for her outrageous behavior, which most likely cost that little girl her life.

No the reality is that one should not have a baby until they can provide for and take care of themself.

Ooooh, that's how simple it is! So glad you explained that! So basically, sexual abuse histories and exploitation histories of the moms aside, we should just punish the baby with homelessness, no healthcare and a life sentence to poverty and hopelessness because his or her mom "chose" to have a baby before she was really ready. Thanks for eplaining that, so helpful an dproductive!

Anonymous wrote:look at the Post today, there is the story of a homeless woman with a two weeks old baby girl. the city provided shelter when it was cold. because now the temperature is above freezing, she was told she needs to find a place to stay on her own because shelters are full. she is a new mom, the baby is two weeks and on the streets. the reality is that a new mother on her own with a newborn cannot find a job (where is she going to leave the baby while she works?), so DC services should either take the baby away from her, or give the mother a shelter and help her get back on her feet (I think they should do the second, BTW). after the baby is dead that would be an outpouring of grief. what about doing something when she is still alive.

as for Relisha's mother, I pity her for the way she herself had to grow up, but cannot really have sympathy for her. she gave her daughter away to a stranger, lied for weeks to her family, lied to the school, provided the school with fake certificates excusing the absences. her child was with 50 yr old male stranger, missing school for weeks and that was OK for her? she lied to the social worker. she knew very well that what she had done was wrong, otherwise why lying to everybody including her family. clearly the guy prayed on very fragile and vulnerable people, but this does not excuse the mother for her outrageous behavior, which most likely cost that little girl her life.

No the reality is that one should not have a baby until they can provide for and take care of themself.

Anonymous wrote:It also breaks my heart to think of the parents who are put in the situation that her mom was. I think we can all agree it was horribly misguided, but if she truly gave her child to them because she thought she'd have a chance at a better life...I just can't imagine ever even having to THINK about that choice.

I believe in another thread a PP said it was common for people to do that in her country. Just so heartbreaking.

I hope the one good thing to come out of this tragedy is that there is increased awareness to this problem.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter where I play with the kids while their parents receive help with jobs, housing, etc. I look at the children and there is not one of them that you would ever see in your child's class and think "that child is homeless".

Unfortunately, I don't think this was the case. If it was, the mother would have given up the child for adoption or put the child in foster case. No, the mother gave the child to a janitor at the homeless shelter, who took an interest in all of the young little girls, giving them $20 bills and such. Also, if you read the other post articles about Relisha and her family, there has been a history of abuse and neglect. Sadly, I think the mother gave the child to the janitor out of convenience to herself, nothing more.

Welcome to DC where we're number 4 in the country for the levels of income inequality!

The top fifth earn 29 times more than the bottom fifth.

Any of you writing to request your tax dollars be in creased to go toward sustainable housing? Any of you want these children in your child's school. they are difficult, they were in my child's school. Your sentiments are empty if you really don't want to do anything to change this situation.

I think the mother needs to be jailed for the rest of her life.

look at the Post today, there is the story of a homeless woman with a two weeks old baby girl. the city provided shelter when it was cold. because now the temperature is above freezing, she was told she needs to find a place to stay on her own because shelters are full. she is a new mom, the baby is two weeks and on the streets. the reality is that a new mother on her own with a newborn cannot find a job (where is she going to leave the baby while she works?), so DC services should either take the baby away from her, or give the mother a shelter and help her get back on her feet (I think they should do the second, BTW). after the baby is dead that would be an outpouring of grief. what about doing something when she is still alive.

as for Relisha's mother, I pity her for the way she herself had to grow up, but cannot really have sympathy for her. she gave her daughter away to a stranger, lied for weeks to her family, lied to the school, provided the school with fake certificates excusing the absences. her child was with 50 yr old male stranger, missing school for weeks and that was OK for her? she lied to the social worker. she knew very well that what she had done was wrong, otherwise why lying to everybody including her family. clearly the guy prayed on very fragile and vulnerable people, but this does not excuse the mother for her outrageous behavior, which most likely cost that little girl her life.

This story has shed so much awareness that DCUM readers have no clue about. Kudos to Payne elementary for following the protocol for absent children. I still find it alarming that this little girl missed 30 days of school. While some were excused, I think those needed to be investigated as well. Maybe some laws will be changed because of this.

This story breaks my heart as well. On the General Parenting forum, when people ask questions because they're worried about child abuse or neglect, there is always a resounding "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" and people talk about how CPS is too quick to remove kids. But the truth is this, the truth is Relisha's case. There were concerns about abuse and neglect with her and her brothers before, but CPS is **NOT** quick to remove. I'm not saying they should have here, because obviously the public doesn't know what evidence they found of abuse or neglect with her parents, and maybe it was enough to put in interventions, but not enough to remove. And then her mom thinks this guy seems nice and is good with kids, and "gives" Relisha to him. Who knows what was going through her mind, but no matter how it happened, Relisha was a child and NO CHILD deserves to disappear and go through whatever she's gone through.

Still praying that somehow she's alive, but it's not sounding good.

I know this was a different case, where she was living at a homeless shelter and her own parents didn't directly do this to her. But please let this be a reminder, that if you know a child who you think may be in trouble, please do *NOT* "MYOB" - please DO SOMETHING! These kids can't advocate for themselves, they need caring adults who notice that all doesn't seem right to at least ask questions and, if necessary, call CPS. Please. These kids can't protect themselves.

Relisha we're all still hoping you come home.

To make this school related (since that's the forum we're in), major kudos to Relisha's school for - even if maybe they waited a too long to act, they still did notice and they still did act. That is so much more than can be said for so many parts of the US.

Glad to see a posting on this here while others make themselves crazy-silly about lottery results. That poor, poor girl.

Was thinking of her and so many more like her this week as I picked up my daughter from school and heard about her day, played Legos, baked cookies, took her to dance and swim class, etc etc. life of privilege. So many kids in this city have NONE of that. Feeling so small and helpless to remedy that. What did my family do to deserve so much and this child none of it?

This city is very clearly delineated between the haves and the have nots. Did this child ever have a chance?

Where is the mayor? Has he made ANY public statements about this tragedy? During the vigil for Relisha at DC General on Saturday he was tweeting pictures of himself eating at Denny's with Marion Barry. Says it all!

It also breaks my heart to think of the parents who are put in the situation that her mom was. I think we can all agree it was horribly misguided, but if she truly gave her child to them because she thought she'd have a chance at a better life...I just can't imagine ever even having to THINK about that choice.

I believe in another thread a PP said it was common for people to do that in her country. Just so heartbreaking.

I hope the one good thing to come out of this tragedy is that there is increased awareness to this problem.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter where I play with the kids while their parents receive help with jobs, housing, etc. I look at the children and there is not one of them that you would ever see in your child's class and think "that child is homeless".

Amen. It is breaking my heart to hear her story every day.

It is tragic and so many people have no idea this children are homeless.

When I was in college, there was a girl in my clinical class that walked to the hospital for every clinical. One day she didn't show up and people were trying to reach her and she showed up at the hospital 2 hrs later, soaking wet and frozen (it was November) because she had bus issues and ended up walking to the hospital.
After that a classmate started picking her up but she always picked her up at a coffee shop or 7/11 and dropped her off there.
One day she just dropped off the face of the earth. Months later I found out she was homeless and had sold her laptop and cell phone in order to give her parents money for food.
It still breaks my heart every time I think about her.

There are too many homeless school children in DC. Tragic.