A single mother let her 14-year-old daughter babysit her 4-year-old son while she went to work – might face jail time
Blairsville, Georgia, USA is the location for this drama, which has been unfolding since 2020. It’s about a single mother who was handcuffed in front of her children after allowing her 14-year-old daughter to babysit her 4-year-old son while she went to work.
Melissa Henderson is a Blairsville mother of five children. Melissa had to leave for work in May 2020, when COVID was at its peak and daycares were closed. While she was gone, she left her 14-year-old daughter Linley in charge of her 4-year-old brother Thaddeus.
Linley was taking online classes at the time, and she was studying when Thaddeus looked out the window and said he wanted to go outside. He went out of the house without his sister noticing, as a 4-year-old would.
Linley noticed her brother was missing after 10-15 minutes and went outside to seek for him. Melissa discovered him in the home of Thaddeus’ friend, and his friend’s mother reported Melissa to the police for not being there for her child and allowing her 14-year-old daughter to care for him.
According to FOX News, officers were alerted to the event and arrived at Melissa’s home two weeks after it occurred. Melissa was arrested for criminal reckless conduct in front of her children by five police cars positioned outside her residence.
Melissa explained how she felt to Reason Magazine:
“I almost don’t know how to express how low it made me feel,” she says.
“To honestly believe that if I’m anything, it’s a wonderful mother, and that everything you do is for your children.” To have it taken away from you to the point where you’re handcuffed in front of them.”
She was arrested and taken to the Union County Jail. According to Reason Magazine, she said:
“I remember curling up in a ball in the corner and wanting to hide,” says the author.
Melissa was eventually bailed out by her ex-husband, who was shocked. She faces a year in prison and a $1000 fine if convicted on the charges. Her lawsuit has been pending for the past two years, and her attorney, David DeLugas, is representing her.
The Georgia DFCS Guidelines, according to David, state:
“Children thirteen years and older who have reached an appropriate degree of maturity may be left alone and may fulfill the position of babysitter for up to twelve hours if permitted by their parents.”
David DeLugas has also created a GoFundMe account in support of the family, which has gotten a lot of attention from all over the world. Davis is also the creator of ParentsUSA, a non-profit that assists families in such situations.
