The authorities missed the charge of False Reporting for the alleged "kidnapping."
Every element of "kidnapping" is present from the parent's standpoint - no false statements, just all-purpose ignorance.
Child Endangerment is a serious charge, and at some point the DA is going to start bringing those cases to trial. You'd like to avoid that because of the damage that does, but the truth is that some parents don't learn until they've had a taste of prison food...