Mother charged with abandoning 3 kids sparks online debate
The arrest last week of a Humble mother who allegedly left her three young children alone at home while she worked sparked online debate, with many comments critical of the law enforcement agency’s actions.
Breanna Davis, 25, was charged on Monday with abandoning or endangering children with intent to return after a witness called police to report seeing the woman’s kids playing alone at a park near their home, according to Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4.
The children — ages 5, 7 and 9 — were left alone while their mother worked a 12-hour shift at a prison, deputies said. Davis was taken into custody and later released on $1,000 bond, court records show. Her children were placed with a family member, Child Protective Services officials said. Davis was ordered by the court to not have contact with two of the children, her bond order says.
The social media post filed by the constable’s office detailing Davis’ arrest drew more than 1,800 comments, many of which criticized the constable’s office. The post has been removed.
“Such a broken system,” one person wrote. “She should have been provided with help and resources before blasting a mom in a bind on social media. She was trying to provide for her children.”
Many of the comments expressed the same concerns and
criticized the witness who reported seeing the children alone in a park near the woman’s home.
“It isn’t exactly easy to find a babysitter in a (pandemic), let alone afford one,” said another.
The post was taken down partly in response to the public’s reaction, a spokesperson for the constable’s office said. The agency did not respond to a request for comment on the arrest.
Davis’ attorney has not responded to requests for comment.
Texas law does not specify how old a child must be in order to be allowed to be left alone, but states that "adequate supervision" is critical and offers guidelines on ensuring proper supervision.
“It’s important for us ask what circumstance or situation made this mom make that decision,” said Sophie Phillips, CEO of TexProtects, a nonprofit that advocates for child safety. “It’s sad that a parent going to work felt like she had no other option than to leave children unattended.”
The number of these cases has increased over the past year, Phillips said, due to the stressors brought on by the pandemic.
Seventy-five percent of all confirmed abuse and neglect cases in 2020 involved neglectful supervision, said Phillips.
“Every parent at some point in time makes the decision to leave kids alone,” said Phillips. “The vast majority of parents likely struggle with that at some point. There’s very little guidance out there and parents have to make a call based on what’s in the best interest of the family.”
Neglectful supervision can mean leaving a child in a situation that requires judgment beyond their maturity level or mental capacity and results in injury or substantial risk of immediate harm. It’s also defined by the law as putting a child in an environment with risk of sexual abuse.
In determining whether it’s safe to leave a child at home alone, CPS recommends considering their age, the number of children and how long they are unsupervised. The safety of the home and the neighborhood also play a factor in CPS’ consideration of safety.
“It can be very subjective,” Phillips said. “The child welfare system has historically disproportionately impacted children of color and lesser economic status and this situation is no different.”
Phillips said TexProtecs is advocating this legislative session to invest in solutions and resources for families who are struggling to provide for their children.
“The pandemic has demonstrated the need for these services more so,” she said. “Most abuse and neglect is not of ill intent, but because the family has inadequate support. We’re never going to reduce the child welfare system if we don't make an investment on the front end.”