Mom Arrested, Left 13-Year-Old Home Alone For Week

Via Facebook

So what if you give your 13-year-old kid enough cash, credit cards and food for a week while you're in a foreign country for business because the police will still arrest you. Winnie Chaffee found out the hard way after spending a week in Taiwan—and keeping her adolescent daughter solo in their Croton-on-Hudson home without adult supervision—when she was charged with misdemeanor child endangerment. Her lawyer calls this an "unfortunate situation" for the single mom.

Last month, a friend of Chaffee's daughter found out she had been living alone for two days and told his family. The friend's family took in the girl and called the cops, who decided to let Chaffee's daughter stay with the friend. A Croton police officer told the Journal News, "When the mother returned, we interviewed her and obviously she admitted to leaving the child alone. She thought it was OK. She left her with pre-made meals, money, credit cards, whatever the child needed," adding, "If you want to leave your 13-year-old home for like an hour or two to go to dinner or shop, that's acceptable, depending on how mature the kid is. We obviously felt this was not right and made the arrest." Why are they cramping Chaffee's free-range kid parenting style!

Chaffee's lawyer Casey Rakob said she was out-of-work and went to Taiwan for a business contract, "This poor lady doesn’t deserve exposure for this," and "She did try to make sure the child was looked in on. This is not a case of a bad mother." But her neighbors told WCBS 880 that Chaffee's actions were "crazy" and "stupid."

Last year, a NJ mother was arrested after leaving her 12-year-old at home alone while she went to Washington to get married.

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By Jen Chung in News on April 8, 2011 12:13 PM

Comments [rss]

Toyin Erayt Nosnibor

SOME OF USE TEENAGERS COULD USE SOME OF THAT FREE LIFE AT LEAST 4 A WEEK LIKE SERIOUSLY THEY ARE ARRESTING HER 4 THAT LIKE SERIOUSSLY. ITS NOT LIKE THE MOTHER KILLED HER DAUGHTER OR BURRIED HER . PLUS IF WE ARE GOING TO B IN COLLAGE BY OUR SELVES 4 LIKE 8 OR 4 YEARS WE SHOULD AT LEAST GET A WEEK OF EXPERIENCE

missybel

Its not as if she couldn't afford to hire someone to look after the girl or have her stay with a friend, duh. If this was a poor woman struggling to work and support her daughter it would be different, but this lady is retarded.

Sheena Smith

I think it is not really a big deal for this mother leaving her child at home alone. What really matters most is in what way did the mother leave her child? Like for example providing him a food and any other important things that the child might be needing without her supervision and most especially the kind of protection that this mother provided to her child while she is away. I would like to share the safety service that I am using with my child. I registered my son to SafekidZone because it has a mobile security application that enables my son to summon help from trusted people and access to the nearest 911 during emergency situation. For child protective services check out: http://safekidzone.com/

tacobelle

Just because most 13-year-olds are stupid and incapable of self-care, doesn't mean Winnie Chaffee's 13-year-old is the same. What a nanny state.

Greg Palka

KEVIN!

fleur_de_lis

it's not like the mom was running off to party in vegas. and it's not like she just up and left. she made preparations so that her daughter would have everything she needed. I think she probably should've had someone stay with (or check on) her daughter while she was gone, but I really think there are bigger issues in the world. this wasn't the greatest parenting ever, but she actually seems like a good mom to me. she just had no other option, she had to work, so she tried to make her daughter's time alone as easy as she could. it is ridiculous to arrest this woman over this. there are much, much worse parents out there that actually should be arrested...I'm sure growing up like this will make this girl very independent. I don't think it's terrible parenting, just not the wisest thing to do. though you're kind of mature at 13, you definitely aren't ready to go totally without supervision, especially for that long! no matter how mature the girl is, I think it would've been better to have someone stay with her, at least during the nights. but give the mom a break, she did the best she could and I'm sure she won't make this mistake again.

and whoever called the cops on this mother- you are a tool. that really annoys me for some reason. i don't think cops are necessary in this situation at all. that's ridiculous!

C Ceres Merry

I took care of my two younger brothers AND my older brother when my mother and father were gone for periods of time at 13 and younger. I cooked too I didn't have anything prepared, for some time I had diapers to change too! Sounds like it has happened before to this mom and daughter if they had all the needed preparation done and knew what she would need for the time period. It depends on the kid, and it does not need to be dragged in the mud like this mom was potentially wrong, she needed a job and left a fully capable girl to hold down the fort, this could be the story here. The friend and his family were okay to look into this but not to call cops- seriously how about just having her stay over, or check in on her then talk to the mom when she got back. They must have an axe to grind with the mom beyond this if they went so far as to involve cops, THAT was not needed.

armchair_warrior

where is the white daddy?

winning1234

The mom is a single parent. The dad must be black.

armchair_warrior

you on some sort of crack? white on rice for asian girls. ask jen!

winning1234

Read my comment again.

winning1234

A 13 yr old asian kid is like a 22 yr old regular kid.

Fofofofofo

I agree. Except a 22 year old kid would have blown the limit on those credit cards within those two days.

freddynyc

Before I turn my mother over to the authorities for past "misdemeanors", under what age range would constitute child endangerment?

theevilerone

18.

Endangering a child is intentionally and unreasonably causing or permitting a child under the age of 18 years to be placed in a situation in which the child's life, body or health may be injured or endangered.