Traci ((((HUGS)))).
My mom has worked at social services since before I was in kindergarten. She's really close to retirement....and has seen it all. She's adult protective services now but has been mixed up in CPS stuff as well. I remember her getting called out in the middle of the night, and all sorts of horrid stuff that I wish I hadn't overheard in my younger years. There are some folks there who are dedicated and do the best job the law allows. There are some who are so slack they'll end up screwing the kids up worse than they were before. Regardless of which type you run into, the state law is as far as they can go.
It's different in every state but I've never heard of one that wouldn't allow anonymous calls. See if you can have dates and specifics to help them out. They're going to go and investigate, but it won't be immediate since this is a case of neglect and not abuse. Time limit they have to investigate depends on the state. They'll probably call and let them know they had a report and even give them some time frame of when they will be coming (sucks, I know). They'll look for signs and evidence to collaborate your call and then suggest a case worker to help with counseling and all that stuff. It could help and could shake them up a bit and hopefully prevent even worse things from happening. But without clear abuse, those kids won't be taken from the home and the cycle of reports and counseling will begin. You just have to hope it will help. I bet you'll be able to sleep a little better at night if you just go ahead and make the call.
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