Jana Duggar Pleads Guilty, Settles Child Endangerment Charge Outside of Court

Jana Duggar has reached a settlement regarding the child endangerment citation she received late last year.

The 19 Kids and Counting alum settled outside of the district court in Elm Springs, Arkansas, and paid $880 after pleading guilty, a clerk confirms to PEOPLE. Fox News was first to report that the charge had been adjudicated on Tuesday.

The settlement comes nearly four months after Jana, 31, received a citation for endangering the welfare of a minor on Sept. 9, per a court document obtained by PEOPLE. She previously pleaded not guilty to the charge. The document did not disclose the circumstances surrounding the charge.

An attorney for Jana did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.

News of Jana's charge first surfaced in early December, just one day after her brother Josh Duggar was convicted of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

A few days later, Jana broke her silence on the child endangerment charge and addressed the situation in a statement on her Instagram Story.

"I'm only sharing this because the media has been having a field day with it all. I prefer a more private life, but I know my last name means that everything we do is open to public criticism and interest, especially during this time," she wrote, seemingly referencing Josh's trial and conviction.

Jana's statement went on to lay out what she called "the raw facts" of the incident.

"I was babysitting a few months ago when one of the children wandered outside alone. A passerby who saw the child called the police," she wrote. "This resulted in a written citation, as well as a follow-up with child welfare who concluded that it was an accident and the child was unharmed."

"They recognized it was a case of a child slipping out of the house when you turn your back for a moment. It all happened so quickly and was scary. I am grateful for law enforcement and those who protect and serve our community," she went on. "I was certainly never arrested like some may have implied. In the end, I was just upset at myself that it had happened at all but so thankful it all ended safely and that's truly what mattered most to me."

Several of her family members also spoke out in support of Jana, including her younger sister Jessa (Duggar) Seewald and her cousin Amy Duggar King.

"It was an innocent mistake," Jessa, 29, wrote on Instagram. "She was babysitting and one of the kids slipped out the door unnoticed, but it ended safely. Could've happened to anyone. She's without question one of the most amazing women I know and I'd trust her with my kids any day of the week."

Amy, 35, added: "I bet you were exhausted, stressed and just emotionally worn out. The child was ok and found ... Watching multiple kids is hard! Bc there's so many of them and you only have two eyes!!"

Jana was initially scheduled for a bench trial on Jan. 10, but the court appearance will no longer take place in light of the settlement.