Nebraska parents dropping off unwanted children under safe-haven law

[LucyDuke]

So the safe-haven law thing is designed for new parents (mothers, really) that don't want their newborns. The idea is that the women will abandon their babies "safely" rather than in a dumpster or whatever.

Nebraska is the last state in the US to put this type of law into effect.

But Nebraska forgot to define "child".

http://new.khastv.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=14550&storytopic=4

Governor Dave Heineman said changes need to be made to the state's safe haven law. He said it is not being used properly. Last weekend, in two separate cases a 15–year–old and an 11–year–old were dropped off at hospitals in Lincoln and Omaha.

Heineman said before he signed the bill, lawmakers told him these types of incidents would not happen.

Under Nebraska's safe–haven law, anyone can leave a child at a state–licensed hospital without facing abandonment charges.

The problem is it does not define the child.

The law was intended to protect infants.

It went into effect in July.

 

[JollyRoger]

Can someone drop off AIG and Lehman there?

 

[Phlegmak]

It reminds me of when Homer Simpson drove Chief Wiggum to a forest, let him out of the car, and said, "You're free, boy!" then drove away.

 

[Elrohir]

So the safe-haven law thing is designed for new parents (mothers, really) that don't want their newborns. The idea is that the women will abandon their babies "safely" rather than in a dumpster or whatever.

Nebraska is the last state in the US to put this type of law into effect.

But Nebraska forgot to define "child".

"Do your chores Jimmy! If you don't, I'll drive you to the hospital, and leave you there!" Awesome.

 

[LucyDuke]

The NPR report said it had an age limit of 19, which sounded weird to me. I'd expect it to cap at 17, since 18-year-olds are adults. I don't have a link for that, they just said it on the radio was all.

I think it's hilarious. Sick of your 8-year-old being a brat? Abandon him to the state!

 

[Babbler]

Maybe it time to up the childhood limit.

Would 35-years-old virgins who still live with their parents count as children?

 

[Masquerouge]

That's great! Even better is that the people actually REALIZED they could legally drop their old kids!

 

[.Shane.]

Good lord, I guess being next to Kansas has finally rubbed off.

 

[Masquerouge]

Good lord, I guess being next to Kansas has finally rubbed off.

In any case, I'm glad this confirms the conservative view that only pro-abortion, baby-killer, communist, atheist liberals from the coasts would do such a thing as abandoning their grownup kids!

EDIT: And I'm eagerly awaiting the new design for the Nebraska quarter!

 

[illram]

These parents are just using their right to choose to abandon their children. Why do you guys hate freedom?

 

[Mirc]

What I find scary is that a 15-year old couldn't do anything to help himself/herself out of such a situation... When it comes to being abandoned by your family, I can't think of any other ways then coercion to make a 15-year old accept to go to a hospital where (s)he could be abandoned. Unless those people that dropped the "children" were not able to sustain them so the children voluntarily agreed to go there to live a hopefully better life (on the back of the state, not saying this is ethical or whatever), that's a pretty stupid 15-year old not to be able to do anything to stop this from happening.

 

[LucyDuke]

Nebraska's fixin' to "fix" their law, and they're now worried that there's gonna be a rush from parents desperate to ditch their kids before the door closes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7728942.stm

Among the abandoned teenagers, six were aged 17, two were 16 years old, six were 15, three were 14-year-olds and three were aged 13.

Another eight children aged 11 or 12 were abandoned.

I still think this is the funniest thing that's ever happened to Nebraska.

 

[.Shane.]

EDIT: And I'm eagerly awaiting the new design for the Nebraska quarter!

OK, you just made me shoot Mountain Dew out of my nose. Good lord that would be a f'ing hilarious quarter.

 

[Masquerouge]

OK, you just made me shoot Mountain Dew out of my nose. Good lord that would be a f'ing hilarious quarter.

Well took you two months to get it, but glad you finally did

 

[.Shane.]

Well took you two months to get it, but glad you finally did

Seriously, we outta have a "fake" quarter for every state.

Let's see...

Alaska: Someone cooking meth while shooting a moose
Kansas: Caveman walking with dinosaurs
California: Man in assless chaps teaching a 2nd grader social studies

Oh yeah, we definitely need these.

 

[woody60707]

So what happens if a father drops off a child?

 

[LucyDuke]

Same thing that happens if a mother drops off a child. Or an aunt. Or a cousin. The law does not specify who can ditch a kid.

 

[Naskra]

So it's a catch-and-release program for kidnappers?

 

[LucyDuke]

Here's more.

The Department of Health and Human Services published a background profile on 30 of the 34 safe haven cases. The report found:

# Twenty-seven children have received mental health treatment;

# 28 children come from single parent homes;

# 22 children had a parent with a history of incarceration; and

# 20 of the 30 children are white; eight are black.

There are 6,600 children in state custody, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Per capita the figure is one of the highest rates in the country, Landry said.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/14/nebraska.safe.haven/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

I really, really love this story.

 

[.Shane.]

# 20 of the 30 children are white; eight are black.

... and two were of races that don't merit mentioning....

WTH?

I think the Nebraska quarter would be a teenager being shoved out the door of a rolling car w/ the state border in the background.