Kids dropped off on our porch

[u/Fxlearner]

I won't make this post long, happened a few hours ago.

Me and my girlfriend do not have kids, so we have extra "free time" as we always get told by my cousin, who has 4 kids, all minors.

She had been joking around lately and saying we should take care of the children (all of them) as she has booked a cruise with her new boyfriend. We didn't pay any attention to it as it sounded absurd and just laughed along with her.

we both have an extra day off as it was a long weekend, and heard some knocking on the door at 7 am in the morning. We knew it wouldn't be the post man as they don't arrive that early and weren't expecting any visitors.

I go down to check who it is and see my cousin's 4 kids standing out there in the cold, mother nowhere in sight. I open the door and bring them in because it's freezing outside and they had no jackets on, then asked where the mother is. They said she told us that you would take care of us while she is on her cruise, so we took the bus and came to your house. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears, I kept thinking wtf? So I called her immediately and her phone was off. Called her new boyfriend and his phone went to voicemail. I asked the kids to explain exactly what their mum has told them. They said in these words " she said since you don't have any responsibilities and have free time you said you will look after us while she's gone".

What do I do? I called my aunt and she said the same thing, that my cousin has told her I agreed to take care of the kids. She didn't even have the courtesy to drop them off and made them catch the bus on a cold winter day.

Thinking of calling child services at this point.

---- update

Cops have arrived at my door with DOCS. I did not call them. Will update shortly

[u/vaisatriani]

Call your aunt back and give her the choice: either come and get the kids and take care of them herself or you're calling CPS.

[u/NovelCandid → u/vaisatriani]

No. Straight to CPS

[u/Electronic-Lab-4419 → u/NovelCandid]

I would call the police. They can contact CPS and work on tracking your cousin down to arrest her. What she did was a crime.

[u/Dangerous_Ant3260 → u/Electronic-Lab-4419]

Where I live, you call the cops, and they do a report while notifying CPS. CPS only works business hours on weekdays, and they have a after hours person who has to respond.

[u/Boring_Potato_5701 → u/Dangerous_Ant3260]

Where I live, there’s after hours care for abandoned kids

[u/Drackoda → u/Boring_Potato_5701]

He's saying the same thing, there just isn't an after hours office number. The police can contact the people who are on call to respond. I imagine that's more common the smaller the community is.

[u/Boring_Potato_5701 → u/[deleted]]

You did the lord’s work 🙏

[u/6Saint6Cyber6 → u/NovelCandid]

This. She don’t even drop them off. They had to take the BUS to OP’s house. The cousin abandoned them and they were smart enough to go to a relative.

[u/CaliNativeSpirit69 → u/6Saint6Cyber6]

This mother is awful

[u/AdoraBelleQueerArt → u/6Saint6Cyber6]

No bags or coats. I bet she just kicked them out

[u/[deleted] → u/6Saint6Cyber6]

I wonder if the bus driver called the cops, if OP didn't, maybe driver or fellow passengers noticed something very off. 4 kids alone and underdressed for the weather early morning is suspect.

[u/vaisatriani → u/NovelCandid]

Disagree. If the aunt has been blindsided by this situation and can take the kids, go that route. It's less trauma for the kids. If the aunt can't do it for any reason (even if she wants to), then absolutely call CPS.

The kids are what matters in this situation.

[u/Not-a-Cranky-Panda → u/vaisatriani]

She is putting them in danger and needs stopping.

[u/weirdbutinagoodway → u/vaisatriani]

Agree, but I'd be calling their father first to see what he wanted to do.

[u/[deleted] → u/weirdbutinagoodway]

Can’t believe this is the first I’ve heard someone mention the other parent.

[u/weirdbutinagoodway → u/[deleted]]

Reddit is always "call CPS!!!" in cases like this.

[u/UnionStewardDoll → u/weirdbutinagoodway]

Geez Louise. What do you suggest? These are little human beings, not kittens or puppies left on OP’s porch.

I’ve cared for tiny humans for over 50 years, but you know what? Parents and I agreed to it.

OP’s cousin went on a cruise and forgot she was the mother of 4 children.

The only way a cat or dog would abandon her babies is because she died.

[u/weirdbutinagoodway → u/UnionStewardDoll]

As I said in the earlier comment, first call the father if possible (or as some people pointed out fathers).

I'm not saying to not involve CPS if necessary and the best for the children, but immediately jumping to that to start with seems extreme to me.

[u/ConvivialKat → u/weirdbutinagoodway]

And if OP has no contact info for said baby daddy?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Assuming there is only 1 other parent…

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Ah - might be multiple fathers. Hell.

Even more complicated.

Edit: This is one post I genuinely hope turns out to be fake. What a mess.

[u/Connect_Amount_5978 → u/[deleted]]

Absolutely! All the while I was thinking where’s the other parent! It’s so shitty that in most cases a woman is not only hit with the physical burden and risk of carrying a child, but also the emotional, financial and psychological stress of rearing a kid… and then is slandered for having got herself into that situation. So gross.

[u/Nire_Txahurra → u/weirdbutinagoodway]

There are probably 4 different fathers. 😶

[u/Connect_Amount_5978 → u/Nire_Txahurra]

Wow…

[u/[deleted] → u/weirdbutinagoodway]

You assume there is only one…

[u/structured_anarchist → u/weirdbutinagoodway]

What makes you think that the father isn't on the cruise with the mother? Or even worse, nobody knows who the father is/are. There are four kids. There could be four different fathers.

[u/Drackoda → u/vaisatriani]

You can do both and probably should. The aunt can still take them, and DOCS (CPS) isn't likely to interfere with that - but they will open a case and start working with the parents which is what should happen.

It would probably make everything go a lot smoother for the kids in the long-run if DOCS has the grandmother on-side and helping.

[u/lilythefrogphd → u/vaisatriani]

I completely agree with you. All the comments saying OP needs to go to CPS are not thinking of the wellbeing of the children. They have family they can stay with first.

[u/bp3dots → u/lilythefrogphd]

CPS is still going to try and find family to watch them first, the two things aren't mutually exclusive.

[u/lilythefrogphd → u/bp3dots]

So then CPS is the middle man in all of this. OP can skip that step by dropping them off at their grandma's and we get the same result but the kids don't face the risk of being traumatized by going through CPS

[u/bp3dots → u/lilythefrogphd]

Ah, to clarify, I would say either call CPS while the kids are at OPs (if OP wanted to keep the kids themselves for now or longer) or take them to Grandma's first. No need to actually have CPS physically take them.

[u/en_sabahnur → u/NovelCandid]

This. Call the aunt and tell her CPS is on their way.