A homeless mom in California is fighting back at critics who think she's abusing her baby by taking her to panhandle on the streets. Keep reading to learn more!
A California mom who was forced to panhandle with her baby is fighting back at critics who accuse her of abusing her child.
According to the Guardian, 34-year-old Megan Doudney was caught on camera begging for money on San Francisco’s Market Street while holding her baby in her arms.
Though Doudney hoped for a little financial help, she was instead met with a wave of face-to-face confrontations and threats from strangers on the streets.
“It’s just harassment,” said Doudney, who is currently staying with her 6-week-old baby and two dogs at a family shelter run by Hamilton Families.
Doudney says she cannot work due to a severe back condition, and even though she receives Social Security payments, she needs to panhandle to pay for extra expenses.
The mom is hoping to save up enough money to put down a deposit on an apartment in the future.
“A lot of people assume I can’t take care of the baby,” Doudney said while holding her infant daughter. “These people want to take her from me. In what way, shape or form am I abusing my child?”
Every Morning, She Sits On The Same Corner And Panhandles With Her Newborn Daughter.......
On Monday, 70-year-old Deidre Laiken actually held a one-woman protest right next to Doudney, holding a sign that read: “Women against child abuse.”
“Most people think about this poor woman, but they don’t think about the child,” said Laiken, who believes Doudney is using her infant daughter to make money. “One of the definitions of child abuse is using a child for exploitation or financial gain. This woman is making a lot of money.”
Doudney first made headlines when somebody took photos of her and her baby and posted them on the social media app Nextdoor.
Earlier this month, somebody called 911 after noticing that Doudney’s daughter looked sick while they were panhandling in their usual spot.
“They called 911 because they said the baby was discolored,” said Doudney, whose daughter actually was treated for low blood sugar. “They said she looked like she was unconscious. Of course she looks like she’s unconscious – she’s a sleeping baby! It was just crazy.”
In one instance, somebody called CPS after noticing that Doudney had left her daughter alone in a stroller with another homeless person.
“I called CPS and said this can’t be legal,” said Erica Sandberg, another Nextdoor user.
Although Doudney has made headlines for taking her baby outside to panhandle, she says they do what they must to survive.
“I do what I need to for my child,” she said.
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