Good advice. /sarc
I sure as hell wouldn't let neighbors I hardly know keep an eye on my kids. I expect others to show the same parental sense.
Judithanne, how well does your daughter know the family? Calling the cops is going to sour any chance of a neighborly relationship forever and should only be used as a nuclear option. The point needs to be made firmly, though...tough call. Heck, I'm not being much help, am I
sigh
Family is new in the neighborhood. Nobody knows them well at all at this point.
My daughter and SIL have always been very protective of their kids, they’re in parochial school, the neighborhood kids know each other pretty well and there are a couple of groups of kids, some of whom will go one way in life, the other, another. You can almost tell, even when they’re pre-puberty...Daughter has a group of neighbors that they all call each other when the kids visit or decide to go indoors, as in “Hi, Caroline, Sissy and Belle are playing Barbies, when do you want me to send her home?” etc. This little guy is too young for any of that.
Besides, my granddaughters and most of their friends have inexpensive cell phones so their parents can always reach them in the neighborhood.
When my daughter was telling me about this, the first time, I could almost see the 3 yo’s mom on local TV, crying, “Please, if you have my son, just bring him home.” A disaster in the making.
You are assuming that being in foster care is better for this child than being allowed to wander.
That is not necessarily the case.
In the case of actual physical abuse, I think it’s best to go to foster care. There are some truly great foster parents out there. You might get one.
In the case of neglect, it is probably better to stay with your family. If you don’t agree with me, talk to a few survivors of the foster care system. One has posted above.