If you see something, say something. It’s this advice that potentially saved the lives of a group of kids abandoned by their mother. Recently, seven children were left alone in an apartment for a week in “deplorable” conditions.
Police discovered the kids in Madison, Wisconsin. If it hadn’t been for neighbors noticing something was off and contacting Child Protective Services, the story could have ended very differently. Let’s take a closer look at the disturbing details surrounding this case.
Neighbors called CPS after noticing the abandoned kids.
Madison Police Department spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said Child Protective Services called police to investigate a case on February 28, 2025, WSAW reported.
“On Friday around noon, our team was contacted by CPS,” Fryer explained. “Some people living in that building called and said, ‘Hey, it seems like kids have been left alone for a while.’”
As it turns out, seven children were left alone for days.
Police reported finding seven young children alone inside the Madison home. According to neighbors, the kids were left alone for a week; a neighbor apparently had been dropping off food on the porch, WKOW reported.
“The children were between two and 13 years old,” Fryer detailed, via WSAW.
The conditions inside the home were called ‘deplorable.’
Police described the living conditions of the children inside the apartment as “deplorable.”
“In this case there were reports of garbage cans overflowing, broken toilets, feces and urine piling up, and just clothes strewn about,” Fryer said.
Meanwhile, their mother was located in Illinois.
The kids’ unnamed mother was found in Illinois, WKOW reported. She has since returned to Wisconsin and is in contact with the police department, according to WSAW. Thus far, no charges have been filed.
Child Protective Services placed the children in the care of a family friend.
A child abuse prevention advocate has since weighed in.
“When you think about child neglect, you have to think about if the child’s needs are being met,” Meaghan Henry, executive director of Canopy Center, told WCSC. “This sounds like an eye-catching case, but I would say that neglect is very prevalent.
“Watching for things like school attendance, engagement in their activities, that sort of thing certainly, the community can keep an eye out for one another,” Henry continued.
Fryer said contacting police for child neglect concerns or for those in need of resources is encouraged.
“In situations like this, it is important to remind people that old saying that we always tell people, ‘If you see something that just seems off, call us,” she said.
