RE: Children alone in vehicles

["Mapp, Susan" <SMapp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I saw the same thing. I remember a poster with a crying child locked inside
a car. I didn't see it when I went to look today, but the web address is
http://www.tdprs.state.tx.us/ <http://www.tdprs.state.tx.us/> 

Susan Mapp, LMSW
DePelchin Children's Center


		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Edward Adrian Lentz [mailto:ealent@home.com]
		Sent:	Tuesday, April 11, 2000 8:41 PM
		To:	Child Maltreatment Researchers
		Subject:	RE: Children alone in vehicles

		Hi Marian,

		A couple of years ago I came across on the Web promotional
materials from
		Texas re a campaign they had going about leaving children in
vehicles alone.
		You may want to touch base with their Child Protection
people.

		Good luck!  Adrian Lentz ealent@home.com


		-----Original Message-----
		From: owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
		[mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu]On
Behalf Of
		sl3ys
		Sent: April 11, 2000 6:26 AM
		To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
		Subject: Information Request


		Hello all,

		I was wondering if I could have a little help.  I'm looking
for a report
		or statistics about parents who leave their young children
alone in
		vehicles.  I need to share this information with a group of
people who
		refuse to classify this as neglect.  On the whole, is it
even considered
		neglect?

		We know that it leads to a wide variety of potential
dangers, but I
		can't find any actual information about it.  Where I am,
this act is not
		illegal, but I understand that it is in a couple of states.
I remember
		watching 20/20 a few weeks back and they had a story about a
woman in
		Missouri who left her boy in the car to go get a soda, and
the car was
		stolen.  The thief tried to push the boy out of the car but
he was
		caught on his seat belt, and was dragged to death as the
thief sped
		off.  Those I talk with say that this is nothing more than
an
		unfortunate incident (and it is unfortunate), and that the
mother had
		every right to do what she did.  I understand that she even
left the
		doors unlocked and the keys in the car.  However, the mother
faces no
		reprimand whatsoever for the neglect of her boy, when
clearly, had she
		taken the boy with her, or even locked the doors and taken
the keys, he
		would still be alive today.

		Now, this story is only one of the very few that I know of,
but that's
		all I have.  I would like to make a point the these people,
but they
		will only accept hard facts rather than "isolated
incidents."

		Any type of resources would be appreciated.

		Thanks,
		Marian