South Carolina Mom Accused of Murdering her Kids
LEMON: A mother in South Carolina is facing charges. She murdered her two toddler sons. Shaquan Duley was not able to go to the funeral of her boys, 2-year-old Devean and 18-month-old Ja'van. The child-sized caskets broke the hearts of the 400 people who attended the services Thursday in Orangeburg. The sheriff says Duley shows remorse. He says Duley is poor, jobless, and was overwhelmed after her mother had just yelled at her for not taking care of her kids. She spoke briefly during her arraignment on Wednesday.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Ms. Duley, how're you doing, ma'am?</s>SHAQUAN DULEY, CHARGED WITH MURDERING HER CHILDREN: I'm OK, sir.</s>LEMON: While Duley's charges are inexcusable, her situation highlights a problem that advocates say is only getting worse in this down economy. Parents who don't abuse their kids or drugs or on the brink of desperate -- on the brink, desperate, and unaware of their options for them. I talked about this with Cyd Wessel. She is a senior director of Healthy Families America, which is part of a child abuse prevention program in America. I asked her what went through her mind when she heard about this mother in South Carolina arrested for allegedly killing her kids.</s>CYD WESSEL, SR. DIR., HEALTHY FAMILIES AMERICA: And one of the services provided through Prevent Child Abuse America is our 1-800- children's number. Wherever you are in the United States, that number will be routed within your state so that you have someone there who can support you in finding services you need within your community.</s>LEMON: So the number...</s>WESSEL: The other thing...</s>LEMON: ... is 1-800-CHILDREN?</s>WESSEL: Correct.</s>LEMON: OK. If you need help. And so, listen...</s>WESSEL: The other thing...</s>LEMON: ... there are -- there are services. You were going to talk about another thing, but I want to get this right. A mom or a parent can just call if they're having an issue, and they can get help from social services, and their kids can be taken away temporarily and watched by someone at social services?</s>WESSEL: Well, yes. There are a couple different services, just to clarify. I think there is a misperception that the Department of Child and Family Services is only about taking children away. That simply is not true. In fact, they're committed to family preservation and strongly believe that children do best when they are reared in their home with their biological parents. And we're, you know, happy to have those services there when we desperately need them, but there are other services. And really, the majority of the services that the Department of Child and Family Services provide are to families in an effort to prevent it from ever getting to the point of needing foster care.</s>LEMON: OK, here's...</s>WESSEL: There's another much...</s>LEMON: But here's what I want to drill down on real quickly, Cyd, because I think what people don't know -- if you're having trouble, if you're feeling desperate in some way or you're not able to take care of your kids, you can call social services -- I want to make this very clear -- and for a few days or a few hours, you can have someone watch your kids or take care of your kids for you until you go seek professional help or until you get a break, so you can get a break from your children?</s>WESSEL: Well, just to clarify there are services called Respite Care, and to give parents absolutely a much needed break. The unfortunate thing is they aren't available in all communities. Many times in particular, parents who have special needs --</s>LEMON: OK. Here's what I want to draw down on real quickly, Cyd, because I think what people don't know, if you're having trouble, if you're feeling desperate in some way, or you're not able to take care of your kids, you can call Social Services. I want to make this very clear. And for a few days, for a few hours, you can have someone watch your kids or take care of your kids for you until you go seek professional help or until you get a break, and so you can get a break from your children?</s>CYD WESSEL, SR. DIR. HEALTHY FAMILIES AMERICA: Well, just to clarify. There are services called respite care and to give parents absolutely a much needed break. The unfortunate thing is they aren't available in all communities. Many times, in particular parents who have special needs children, whether they be medical needs or severe autism or some type of medical condition, those parents definitely need a break. They can even schedule maybe one day a week where their child is placed in certified child care and whether it be home based or center based. That child care is paid for. The parents do not have to pay. In some cases there might be a sliding fee scale but there are certainly affordable services. And other parents, regardless of any special needs with their children, can look to see if respite services are available in their community.</s>LEMON: Do you remember life before computers? How about talking on a corded phone or writing in cursive? Well, many students entering college for the first time this year don't have a clue about any of those things. Do you feel old yet? Well, coming up, a look at an annual college list showing how much the world has changed.