Job & Family Services to investigate home where child left alone

CINCINNATI - A Cincinnati mother is facing child endangering charges for allegedly leaving her 4-year-old child at home alone Saturday.

Nineteen-year-old Janeesa Dorsey made her first court appearance during an arraignment hearing Downtown at the Hamilton County Juvenile Justice Center Monday.

Dorsey did not speak during the hearing.

The judge ordered the suspect's home be evaluated by Job and Family Services.

Hamilton County Job and Family Services spokesman Mike Boehmer says his office will investigate Dorsey's home to make sure the child will be safe to return.

"Children Services really wants to ensure the well being and safety of the child. They do a thorough investigation to see exactly what the situation warrants. A child may be placed with a family member or friend or even in foster care while the parent works to address the situation that caused the problem," said Boehmer.

A complaint filed in Hamilton County Municipal Court states Dorsey left a child home alone locked in a bedroom.

The complaint states the child was left in the room where the door knobs had been removed.

The complaint doesn't state how the child was found.

Beech Acres, a parent resource agency, say there is a lot of support for parents, especially single parents, in the community.

"We educate them and inform around things like child development. We talk about supervision and safety of the children," said Jill Huynh of Beech Acres.

Boehmer says Job and Family Services offers voucher programs for single parents who need help with childcare. He says there are safe options for parents to choose when needing assistance with childcare.

"If you're a young new parent, you probably don't know what's out there. A lot of the childcare providers, they go through all kinds of early childhood development training. They're really good at what they do, so you're putting your child in a really safe place where they're going to learn a lot," Boehmer explained.

Boehmer says the childcare vouchers allows parents to pay a minimum cost that is very affordable for low-income families.