Single mother of 5 faces prison time for leaving her teenage daughter in charge while she worked

Single Mothers

Parents like Melissa Shields Henderson work hard every day to support and educate their children.

Parents can often find themselves in a constant balance between meeting their work commitments and providing for the needs of their children.

At Henderson, the work-life balance was particularly intense during the COVID-2020 period in May XNUMX, when schools and childcare centers were temporarily closed.

She worked as an administrator at a health center in Blue Ridge, Georgia, which was more than 37 miles from her home in Blairsville.

Quitting work was not an option, as her family was completely dependent on her income to pay the bills and support the children.

Melissa’s situation, as a single mother who faces difficult choices every day, is exemplary for countless other parents in the same situation.

They had to continue working while also trying to keep their children safe and cared for, despite the lack of regular childcare facilities.

In this case, Melissa relied on her eldest daughter, 14-year-old Linley, to help care for her younger siblings.

This seemed like a logical and legally sound decision, considering that in the state of Georgia, children 13 and older are legally allowed to babysit younger children, as long as it does not exceed 12 hours per day.

A Moment of Inattention

On the day Melissa went to work and Linley was responsible for her four younger siblings, something went wrong.

While Linley focused on her own schoolwork, her youngest brother Thaddeus, who was 4 years old, sneaked out to play with a friend.

This boyfriend lived just a few blocks away, and Thaddeus could see him from the window of his house. Without saying a word to his family, he left the house and walked outside to meet his boyfriend.

Within just 10 to 15 minutes, Linley noticed Thaddeus was gone and she quickly responded by getting him safely home.

None of the children had any problems and there was no serious incident. But what should have been a small and innocent incident between children became the beginning of a long-term challenging experience for Melissa and her family.

During that short time, Thaddeus’ friend’s parent frantically called a professional counselor, likely concerned that the child was playing outside unsupervised.

The Unexpected Visitor

When Melissa got home that evening, she was completely surprised to find a care worker there who told her they had been called because her son had been left outside unattended.

At that point the situation seemed somewhat resolved. Melissa was not punished right away and thought it would stop there.

Two weeks later, however, a counselor appeared at her door again, this time with much more serious intentions.

To her great surprise, she was taken for a conversation where she had to explain everything. She later said in an interview with Fox News: “They approached me, took me away and asked me to explain everything.”

“It was intense and unpleasant.”
“This unexpected situation had a major impact on her life and that of her children.”