Alabama mother and son reported for trying to recruit kids for lemonade stand 

A mother and her eight-year-old son were reported to the Labor Department after they tried to recruit kids in their neighborhood to be a 'smiler' or 'greeter' at their lemonade stand.

Cristal Johnson and her son Cam were surprised when Alabama officials contacted them regarding the stand, which they had set up last year in their driveway to support the boy's dream of going to Disney World.

The complaint was reportedly made after the mother-son duo from Hueytown put up a flyer announcing a now-cancelled 'one-day-apprenticeship' on July 9 at Cam's Lemonade.

The flyer said they were looking for two kids between the ages of six and ten to work at the stand, and child would be paid $20 after a two-hour shift helping to sell lemonade.

'Child must submit their own resume to me telling me that they want to be when they grow up and why,' the 'CAM IS HIRING' poster instructed. 

Cristal Johnson and her son Cam (pictured) were shocked to find out they were reported to the Department of Labor for trying to recruit kids to work at their lemonade stand in Alabama

The flyer said they were looking for two kids between the ages of six and ten to work at the stand, and child would be paid $20 after a two-hour shift helping to sell lemonade

'Child must submit their own resume to me telling me hat they want to be when they grow up and why,' the 'CAM IS HIRING' poster instructed

'We will open from 2-6, you can drop them off with us at the truck for a 2 hr shift, and pick them up at the end of their shift,' the mom wrote on social media. 

'I will let them work with Cam on communicating with customers, giving and receiving payments, and good manners. It is my hope to help them build self esteem, help them with counting, speaking like a big kid, following directions, & some good old fun!'

Earlier this month, Cristal shared on Facebook that, despite her good intentions, the Labor Department informed her that someone had reported the stand.

'Although my heart was in the right place.. someone else's was not. I was reported to the Department of Labor for hiring minors!!! Some miserable soul thought it be a good idea to have it shut down, so with that being said.. the child event I was trying to have is cancelled!!' the mother wrote.

'I think it is disgusting, hateful, and downright sad for a person to find negative in what I was trying to accomplish! 

'That person is no doubt reading this message, and this is for you: You CANNOT stop what is destined to be! You didn't win! All you did is make me figure out another way!'

Cristal told The Washington Post that Cam had become less shy, coming out of the shell thanks to the stand, which became so successful that their product was even sold in grocery stores. 

The respiratory therapist crafted the stand out of wooden crates painted blue and decorated it with lemons and flowers, and a sign advertising the drink for $2 a cup.

Seeing how good working at the stand was for Cam, the mom decided it would be a good idea to impart the same skills of hard work on other kids. 

'I was trying to do a good thing, give back to my community and to find out that someone insinuated that I was trying to labor minors, that was…it was pretty sad,' the mother told Fox & Friends on Thursday.

Cristal said Cam had become less shy, coming out of the shell thanks to the stand, which became so successful that their product was even sold in grocery stores

Cam's Lemonade Stand consists of Cristal preparing the lemonade batches in a rented commercial kitchen and transporting the bottles by car

Cam added that he felt 'sad' after leaning they had been reported. 

It's unclear who reported the mom and son to the authorities. 

The Labor Department did not sanction the mother and son in any way, according to a spokesperson, who explained that while lemonade stands are perfectly legal, Cam's Lemonade is subject to the state's labor laws because it has 'professional transportation and distribution.'

Cam's Lemonade Stand consists of Cristal preparing the lemonade batches in a rented commercial kitchen and transporting the bottles by car.

Alabama's labor laws dictate that businesses cannot hire children under the age of 14. 

However, Spokeswoman Hutchison told The Post that Cristal, who is the sole owner of the business, could employ her own child as long as they are 'under her supervision and not performing hazardous duties.'

The Biden administration announced earlier this year it would be cracking down on child labor after a damning report said it had risen by nearly 70 percent over the last five years.

Since 2018, the number of children working illegally in US factories has risen to 3,876 from 2,299.

Between 2021 and 2022, the number of minors working those jobs rose by over 1,000.