I don't think I would. The kids have a place to sleep, running water, and are being fed. I've had students who've lived in motels. You gotta do what you gotta do.

I'd call on the basis of observing the children unattended at night. I would call and let CPS do the investigation. Placing the call doesn't always mean they'll even pursue a case, but it's better, in cases like these, to just call and express your observations. I wouldn't mention all the other things about their income/unemployment, etc. However, expressing it as a safety concern would be important. As someone who has worked with CPS a lot, I think CPs is often more helpful by way of connecting families to important resources, and not jut removing kids from a home. Sure, there are people who have terrible experiences with CPS. But I've worked with them and families enough to know that they're not all bad, and often help families get linked to much needed services at an expedited rate.