Neb. 'safe-haven' law allows abandonment of teens

dv8grl

I just shudder to think whats going to happen to these unwanted kids.
A 5 old who was likes to set fires. A 7 yr old girl who was a sex slave. A 15 yr old who kills neighborhood cats.
Not many people can turn their lives around., even from birth............ I don't think there is enough counciling in the world to help some of the children out there.
The "system" is F'd as it is., just ask Foster Parents, who have delt with abused children. Most of them can't & the kid goes from home to home., only to turn 18., have NOTHING & then what........
What Will Happen To These UnWanted Kids?

SOYLENT GREEN?

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gmyers

Thats what I was wondering too. Who will take them and some foster homes are as bad as whats already happening to them. I think its horrible for a foster family to do the same thing or worse to a child thats already been damaged at home but I've heard a lot of foster kids say it happens. They may have to start up some kind of homes or orphanages for them. I'm not saying foster homes are all bad but I've heard some bad things about some of them too.

dv8grl

2 boys left at Neb. hospitals under 'haven' law
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080915/...9hp91C2s0 NUE

OMAHA, Neb. - Two boys ages 15 and 11 were left at Nebraska hospitals over the weekend, the first youngsters surrendered under the state's new safe-haven law that allows caregivers to abandon children and teens as well as infants, officials said.


A 44-year-old woman dropped off her teenage nephew at Lincoln's BryanLGH Medical Center West on Saturday, saying the boy had behavioral problems that she couldn't handle anymore, Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady said. The woman is the boy's legal guardian.

The other boy was left at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha on Saturday, said Alegent Health spokeswoman Kelly Grinnell.

The 11-year-old was dropped off by his mother, who said she believed she could no longer care for him, said Todd Landry, who heads the Department of Health and Human Services' division of children and family services.

The two cases are the first uses of the state's safe-haven law, Landry said. Neither case produced suspicion of child abuse or neglect and neither child appeared to be in immediate danger, he said.

"These were two cases where the caregiver or parent decided the behavior issues were such they felt they could no longer provide good parenting skills," Landry said.

The 11-year-old remained in an Omaha hospital for evaluation and observation Monday, he said. The 15-year-old was temporarily placed in an emergency shelter in Lincoln. The county attorneys and the courts will now step in to determine custody.

Nebraska was the last state in the nation to adopt a safe-haven law, which took effect July 18. It allows any caregiver, not just a parent, to leave a child at any state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution.

Under previous law, a parent who abandoned a baby could have been charged with child neglect or abandonment, both misdemeanors, or child abuse, a felony.

Most other states have focused their laws on protecting infants.

State Sen. Arnie Stuthman said he introduced the bill intending to protect infants. In a compromise with senators worried about arbitrary age limits, the measure was expanded to include the word "child."

The law doesn't further define child, and some have interpreted that to mean anyone in Nebraska under the age of 19. Others have taken the common law meaning of child — those under age 14.

Stuthman's bill was signed into law as a way of protecting children from immediate danger or harm, said Landry, who didn't believe the two cases Saturday carried that sense of urgency.

Stuthman said Monday that he was surprised that two older children were abandoned on the same day. He said the cases didn't meet the intent of his bill, but he said they will open lawmakers' eyes as to the issues affecting children and families.

"I clearly do not believe this was the intent of LB157," he said.

Stuthman and others have said they are open to revisiting the legislation.

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ilovecats

Interesting.Not sure how I feel about this.I could see a 15 yr old being out of control more than an 11 yr old.I can't even imagine giving up my kids,no matter how mouthy they have gotten.Of course we never know what is going on in someones home though.I hope they are indeed better off,how sad to know that your parents don't want you anymore.

DrHolliday

You never abandon your kids...ever.

If a kid gets out of control, it's probably on account that they were never disciplined or were neglected in some manner.

Jolie Rouge

10 kids, including family of 9, abandoned
By TIMBERLY ROSS, Associated Press Writer
8 minutes ago

OMAHA, Neb. - Ten children ranging in age from 1 to 17 were left at hospitals Wednesday under Nebraska's unique safe haven law, which allows caregivers to abandon not only infants but also teenagers without fear of prosecution.

Nine of the children came from one family. The six boys and three girls were left by their father, who was not identified, at Creighton University Medical Center's emergency room. An unrelated 11-year-old boy also was surrendered Wednesday.

The law, which went into effect in July, was initially intended to protect infants, but was amended to include the word "child," which some have interpreted under Nebraska law to mean anyone under the age of 19.

At least 14 children have been abandoned since the state's new safe haven law took effect.

The children are OK, said Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kathie Osterman said. She didn't know why their father had left them.

More information will be available at a late morning news conference, Osterman said.

Nebraska was the last state in the nation to adopt a safe-haven law. Under previous law, a parent who abandoned a baby could have been charged with child neglect or abandonment, both misdemeanors, or child abuse, a felony.

State Sen. Arnie Stuthman said he introduced the bill intending to protect infants. In a compromise with senators worried about arbitrary age limits, the measure was expanded.

Abandoning teenagers was not the original intent of the law, Stuthman said Thursday.

"People are leaving them off just because they can't control them," he said. "They're probably in no real danger, so it's an easy way out for the caretaker."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080925/...iiMs.dys0 NUE

On the Net:
Nebraska Legislature: http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/web/public/home

Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.state.ne.us

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Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

ahippiechic

I was 'out of control' as a teen and I wasn't neglected and I was definitely disciplined! Sometimes, kids get out of control thru no fault of the parents.

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April78945

Wait. So a parent can leave their child under the care of a PAID babysitter and that babysitter can just drop the kid off and walk away? I HAD to have read that wrong. If I was paying someone to babysit my kids and they took them to some sort of "I'm done with this" drop off center there would be hell to pay.

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Jolie Rouge

What is a parent to do when they are not ALLOWED to disipline their children BY THE STATE ? If a parent spanks a child they want to charge "abuse"; if a parent doesn't disipline their child they are accused of letting them "run wild"

Before anybody gets fired up - there is a distinct difference between properly applied disipline and abuse - which is hitting a child because you are frustrated or angry.

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Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

ahippiechic

I spanked my son when was a kid. If my DD needed it, I'd spank her too.

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atprm

somehow I don't see this program being used as intended.

It won't be before long that little johnny now age 16 is dropped off by his parents because his parents realize that they can't afford to feed or clothe him and still live the high life they did before he was born...it only took them 17 years to figure out that for every action there is a reaction.

As pessimistic as my take on this is, I just don't see people using this program the way it was intended...don't we have enough kids in the system??

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