The NE 'safe haven' law & unintended consequences

[mangxema]

Interesting story from Nebraska. From CNN:

Frustrated parents are dumping their teenagers at Nebraska hospitals -- even crossing state lines to do it -- and the state Legislature has scheduled a special hearing to try to stem the tide.

Nebraska's "safe haven" law, intended to allow parents to anonymously hand over an infant to a hospital without being prosecuted, isn't working out as planned.

Of the 17 children relinquished since the law took effect in July, only four are younger than 10 -- and all four are among the nine siblings abandoned by a man September 24 at an Omaha hospital.

On Tuesday, a 14-year-old girl from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was abandoned at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, just across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs. The case marks the first time a parent has crossed state lines to abandon a teenager in Nebraska, authorities said.

...

When it was introduced in the Legislature, the bill had a presumed age limitation of 72 hours, said Todd Landry, director of the state's Division of Children and Family Services.

"The original intent was to protect infants from the immediate danger of being harmed," he said.

However, the law's final language uses the word "child" and does not specify an age limit, leaving it open to interpretation. Other states' laws specify the maximum age at which a child may be relinquished, ranging from 72 hours in several states to 1 year in North Dakota, according to the National Center for State Courts.

 

[Tycoon101]

As horrible as that is, it is entirely humorous.

 

[Sims2789]

This loophole is unbelievably stupid. Did a poison pill fail to kill the the original bill or something?

 

[Bill3000]

My dad always said to me that if I was bad enough that he'll sell me to a circus where all I would be fed is bread crumbs.

I didn't know that there were people who actually did that.

 

[Ayatollah So]

Um, just to clarify...

Is anyone suggesting that if these parents couldn't dump their kids on the state of Nebraska, the kids would be better off continuing under that kind of parent(ing)??

 

[cubsfan6506]

What the hell hapens these kids.

 

[Shadylookin]

Um, just to clarify...

Is anyone suggesting that if these parents couldn't dump their kids on the state of Nebraska, the kids would be better off continuing under that kind of parent(ing)??

agreed. If parents are abandoning their children shouldn't we take them and put them into foster homes instead of trying to force their parents(who've basically admitting that they've failed as parents) to keep them against everyone's best interest?

 

[mangxema]

Um, just to clarify...

Is anyone suggesting that if these parents couldn't dump their kids on the state of Nebraska, the kids would be better off continuing under that kind of parent(ing)??

I cannot personally vouch for the state of Nebraska's childcare, but generally speaking, foster homes suck. It is entirely possible for it to be a wash.

The interesting thing, i thought, was that this law exposed the fact that there are plenty of unwanted children.

 

[Shadylookin]

I cannot personally vouch for the state of Nebraska's childcare, but generally speaking, foster homes suck. It is entirely possible for it to be a wash.

The interesting thing, i thought, was that this law exposed the fact that there are plenty of unwanted children.

well only if17 unwanted children 9 of which came from one parent counts as plenty.

 

[.Shane.]

Um... call an emergency legislature session and change it. WTF is so hard about that?

 

[mangxema]

well only if17 unwanted children 9 of which came from one parent counts as plenty.

Perhaps plenty wasn't the right word... it's still bad though.

 

[Bill3000]

The interesting thing, i thought, was that this law exposed the fact that there are plenty of unwanted children.

Really, I would have thought abortions would be proof enough.

 

[woody60707]

it's only 17 kids. That a really small number. I don't see what the big is.

As a side note, who as the right to abandoned the kids? Do both parents need to, or is one good enough?

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

My biggest question is how do you know the person dropping the baby off is really the parent?

 

[warpus]

Isn't the spirit of the law more important than a loophole created by an unintended ambiguity of the letter of the law?

I'm no lawyer, but "ha! got you on a technicality!" doesn't seem that professional and acceptable to me.

 

[Enkidu Warrior]

The idea that we should rush to forcefully reunite these kids with the shockingly bad human beings that used to pass as their parents strikes me as preposterous.

 

[negZero]

Um... call an emergency legislature session and change it. WTF is so hard about that?

Because that would make sense and if you hadn't learned yet the world isn't meant to make sense.

 

[mangxema]

Really, I would have thought abortions would be proof enough.

That is slightly different. That's more a future child. At the time of an abortion, you could not have the parenthood factor hit you yet, depending on when it's done. That's not the case for a teenager.

 

[h4ppy]

I mean you could drive all the way to Nebraska or you could just drop the kid off at *insert anime fan's name here*'s house.

 

[GinandTonic]

Could parents not already surrender their children to social services if they were unable to care for them? WTF kind of barbaric law requires children to remain with parents who cannot cope?

Sure do everything possible to help the parent cope, give them therapy and respite care and whatnot, but legally forcing a non-functioning family to stay togeather is vicious and futile.