To have called the police

[AriesTheRam]

I work in School and finished around an hour ago (not classroom staff)
As me and colleague left we saw a tiny girl walking a dog alone id say she looked around 2 at the oldest.We asked her if she was OK and where she lived but she didn't really know what we were saying.It was a busy main road we were on so I rang the police to let them know the child was alone.Id been on the phone for a min when mum came round the corner panicked.
A sibling had left the gate unlocked and the child had wandered out apparently.
I've since had a phone call back from the police who asked me questions about the appearance of the child etc and they said they were going to do a welfare check.

Would you have done the same? I feel bad that the family will be visited i suppose.

God yes you did the right thing. And I'd bloody hope if my 2 year old escaped that someone like you would find them and call the police! You definitely did the right thing

You definitely did the right thing!

I think you did the right thing given the circumstances. A welfare check is the right thing to do and as a mum, I'd be happy that someone was looking out for my child.

These things happen, and the police will know that.

You did the right thing. They will only pop round and see that everything is ok - case closed, or they’ll find something amiss in which case the children will have some protection in place.

It was an unusual situation!!

No question you did the right thing.

This cannot be a serious question surely?

Right thing to do OP.

@WorraLiberty i know i was right to be concerned i suppose after the event with something like that you start thinking was i OTT iykwim

They'll need her address to be able to do a welfare check though and if the mum came round the corner, how would you know where she lived in order to give the police that info?

I almost hit a child in a nappy who ran out in front of my car. I was so shaken and sat with the child while I rang the police and his mum came running down the road accusing me of taking her child. The best thing to do is ring the police

OTT to call the police when you spot a missing toddler walking down a busy road?

It's not OTT, what other course of action could you have realistically taken?

Right thing to do.

I don't imagine parents will be in trouble if it's a one-off escape - these things happen. They might get a visit, but that will just be to check that it wasn't something that is likely to happen again.

The thing is as you know working in a school is if there is nothing to find and this was a random one off that would never normally be able to happen then there will be a visit and a chat or even just a call then the case will be closed so no harm done! But if this is a situation involving neglect or abuse etc then the your call and the following case will highlight children that need intervention by professionals because they are too young to advocate for themselves.

Either way the outcome is the right one.

As a responsible adult I understand and welcome the professions in this country that are there to protect children so if occasionally they intervene to check on a family that turns out to be completely safe then that's ok by me. If ss or the police want to check on my kids because someone has mistakenly been worried about them then great because they would find everything ok but if it turned out I wasn't a safe adult or providing a safe environment (which of course they don't know without checking!) the children would get the protection they needed.

As a last point, the opinion of adults who have had childhood trauma that people must have noticed. if someone, anyone had just called I wouldn't have had xyz happen to me but no one ever did, no help ever came is so shockingly common it is heartbreaking hearing these traumatised adults talk with such hurt now that they are old enough to see how bad things were that noone ever tried to help them and all it would have taken is someone simply picking up the phone and letting others sort it out.

Well, of you can't see where they've come from and you don't want to abduct them, what else can you do? It's what the police are for!

I spotted a toddler crossing four busy lanes, stopped the car, scooped him up, went back over the road and knocked doors till I found the parents. He was under two, few words, big nappy, clutching a coin and headed for 'ice cream'.

Parents were at a backyard barbecue, not their house, bigger kids had left the front door and gate open and he slipped out unnoticed. They hadn't even missed him!

I never even got a thank you. Their lives could have taken a very different turn that day...

I think it was the right thing to do.

The dog should have had a collar tag with contact information on if the mother hadn't appeared.

Absolutely did the right thing. Kids sometimes get into mischief, and I hope if either of mine do, someone like you would call the police and I would be very grateful you did something.

If I had a two year old who escaped from the garden and wandered down a road alone I would want someone to call the police too - and I would understand the need for a welfare check too. You did the right thing. The child is probably absolutely fine and well cared for in which case the welfare check won’t lead to any further actions, but you couldn’t know when you called what the situation was. Every adult has a duty to act in the interests of children who appear to be in need of help.

A child was killed on a road a few years ago as he wandered out of his gate on to a roundabout. You did the right thing and please don't doubt yourself.

Of course you done the right thing. The parents could be struggling/neglecting and need support if they weren’t even aware their toddler was missing immediately, that alone would make me call the police. If it turns out to be a genuine mistake decent parents would be grateful you called them rather than their child at risk of being kidnapped or worse.

You did the right thing.

But another day, another thread and there would be posters saying that given the mum had appeared you should have left it when the police rang back and that you were unreasonable.

So it’s easy to see why you might have doubted yourself....

It's not ott to call the police op. You didn't know the mum was just around the corner. You acted on what you saw, no one can blame you for that.

What information did you provide the police with in order for them to identify the mother and find out where she lives to visit her for a welfare check?

If my child had escaped I would never have a problem with someone looking out for them by calling the police! You did the right thing. And it's nice to know the police follow up on things like this.

@Ohtherewearethen I didnt I was still on the phone to them when mother appeared,I said its OK now the mum is here and the operator asked to speak to the mum.She provided her name and address when asked.