safe haven laws

[strollingbones]

what do you think of safe haven laws? it is the law that allows one to drop off kids without fear as long as you do it in a safe place. Nebraska recently passed this law and has found kids as old as 18 being dropped off. the law is aimed at infants but has resulted in parents dropping off hard to handle kids etc. i noticed in charlotte nc today...a new born infant was left in the bathroom of a macdonalds. nc has no safe haven laws.

 

[glockmail]

I think its great. I threaten my kids with a one way trip to Nebraska whenever they get disrespectful or complain that something's not exactly to their liking.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Better than abortion.

 

[Againsheila]

what do you think of safe haven laws? it is the law that allows one to drop off kids without fear as long as you do it in a safe place. Nebraska recently passed this law and has found kids as old as 18 being dropped off. the law is aimed at infants but has resulted in parents dropping off hard to handle kids etc. i noticed in charlotte nc today...a new born infant was left in the bathroom of a macdonalds. nc has no safe haven laws.

I think it's great. Nebraska has always been protective of the kids. Boy's Town was started in Nebraska (made famous by the Spencer Tracy movie) and is still there and is now open to girls as well as boys.

 

[xsited1]

It's a good law. Some people don't know what else to do and the child is innocent.

 

[Gem]

I fully and completely support it. When we know from sad experience that scared children will leave newborn babies and infants in toilets and trashcans...why on earth would we punish someone for having the courage and good sense to bring their child to a safe place and give it to people who are better able to care for it?!?

As far as children as old as 18? Well, I suppose bringing a child to a center is better than abusing or neglecting that child. But I think that older children being dropped off brings up a whole mess of complications and questions...

 

[Luissa]

what do you think of safe haven laws? it is the law that allows one to drop off kids without fear as long as you do it in a safe place. Nebraska recently passed this law and has found kids as old as 18 being dropped off. the law is aimed at infants but has resulted in parents dropping off hard to handle kids etc. i noticed in charlotte nc today...a new born infant was left in the bathroom of a macdonalds. nc has no safe haven laws.

I don't think you should be able to drop off your 16 year old but if they keep a new born from being dumped in a garbage can or killed by their mother then I am for them. We had a lady here in town who killed one child then four years later had twins and put both in their own box dumping them in a neighborhood one of them dying.

 

[Silence]

Better than abortion.

have you ever heard of a 17 year old child being aborted?

I believe in safe haven laws for children up to a year old but beyond that IMO you should contact child services and turn them over to foster care if you're unable to take care of them any longer.

I can't even fathom the psychological damage done to these kids when their parents just unceremoniously dump them off without a word.

where are the child abandonment laws?

 

[Gem]

I think PoliticalChic was referring to babies when she mentioned abortion, Silence...don't go literal to the point of ridiculousness.

As far as the older children go...I think that this nation is failing miserably with out current child and youth services...so I wouldn't encourage putting any child into that system unless it was absolutely necessary. It is overloaded, understaffed, etc. etc. It just seems that there should be, has to be, a better way to deal with children in these situations...

p.s. I wonder how many of the older kids were dropped off by parents pissed off about attitude or cell phone bills who came back a few days later to see if their kids had "learned their lessons."

 

[Chris]

I think teenagers should be forced to wear orange jumpsuits and pick up trash on the side of the road until they are 18.

 

[Turboswede]

what do you think of safe haven laws? it is the law that allows one to drop off kids without fear as long as you do it in a safe place. Nebraska recently passed this law and has found kids as old as 18 being dropped off.

The 18 year old’s parents must have been lawyers, I can just imagine the follow up interview with CPS:

“No, I don’t think there is an issue at all, the term child was never clearly defined so how can we…”

 

[random3434]

What person in their right mind would be against "safe haven" laws. It's too bad it took this long to have it made into a law. How a state doesn't have one yet is beyond me. What could be more important than the safety of a child? Really, what?


I agree with Gem about our system for older kids. Not many people want to adopt older kids, just the cute little babies. I have some friends who have adopted their foster children, but that doesn't happen too often.

I did hear on the news Nebraska is going to rewrite thier safe haven law, so all the teens stop getting sent there! Those of us that are parents of teens know it's tempting sometimes to ship them off to Nebraska though~lol!

 

[Gunny]

I think PoliticalChic was referring to babies when she mentioned abortion, Silence...don't go literal to the point of ridiculousness.

As far as the older children go...I think that this nation is failing miserably with out current child and youth services...so I wouldn't encourage putting any child into that system unless it was absolutely necessary. It is overloaded, understaffed, etc. etc. It just seems that there should be, has to be, a better way to deal with children in these situations...

p.s. I wonder how many of the older kids were dropped off by parents pissed off about attitude or cell phone bills who came back a few days later to see if their kids had "learned their lessons."

Where do you think the children end up? The fire station doesn't just keep them. They turn them over to child services.

 

[random3434]

Where do you think the children end up? The fire station doesn't just keep them. They turn them over to child services.

But,,,,a baby has a 100% chance of being adopted. Trust me on this, the waiting list is years and years in some cases.

It's a win-win situation for the baby, going to a loving home that's waited years for that baby, instead of being with someone that's not ready to take care of the child.

The child gets a chance at life!

 

[Gem]

Gunny Wrote:

Where do you think the children end up? The fire station doesn't just keep them. They turn them over to child services.

Exactly. Which is why I stated that I had questions and concerns about a "no questions asked" policy about adolescents and teenagers.

 

[Kid Pickle]

I live in Nebraska. I love the law, but I cannot believe no one in the unicam thought that they might want to put an age limit in there. When the first couple of kids got dropped off, I hoped it would get fixed. Now there are people coming from all over to get rid of thier kids. The parents cannot be charged with abandonment, but someone oughtta be damnsure checking out the circumstances of the home.

I couldn't imagine what a blow it would be to a child's self worth to be told by their parents, "Bye, I don't want you anymore. Hope you find someone who does." I find it really hard to believe that there are that many parents who wouldn't do whatever it takes to raise their children.

 

[random3434]

I live in Nebraska. I love the law, but I cannot believe no one in the unicam thought that they might want to put an age limit in there. When the first couple of kids got dropped off, I hoped it would get fixed. Now there are people coming from all over to get rid of thier kids. The parents cannot be charged with abandonment, but someone oughtta be damnsure checking out the circumstances of the home.

I couldn't imagine what a blow it would be to a child's self worth to be told by their parents, "Bye, I don't want you anymore. Hope you find someone who does." I find it really hard to believe that there are that many parents who wouldn't do whatever it takes to raise their children.

That is heartbreaking.

You are exactly right about what it would do to a child. Gem said maybe some do it to teach the child a lesson, and come back for them in a few days. But as we know all too well (sadly) some parents refuse to give up their selfish ways to be a parent.

Is Nebraska the only state with no age limit?

 

[Kid Pickle]

That is heartbreaking.

You are exactly right about what it would do to a child. Gem said maybe some do it to teach the child a lesson, and come back for them in a few days. But as we know all too well (sadly) some parents refuse to give up their selfish ways to be a parent.

Is Nebraska the only state with no age limit?

We're the first state with the law, period. I guess everyone else can learn from us what NOT to do.

I'm looking at an article from Sunday's Omaha paper and the first thing that strikes me is that kids being taken to the hospital are now afraid that their parents might leave them. I hadn't thought of that.

It says most of the parents are present in the court proceedings, so their not just dropping them off and saying, "Awright! PAAARTTY!!"

With the tweekers and the abusive-types, our foster-care system is pretty taxed as it is. Maybe more people will get involved. I would if I were financially capable.

The legislature is going to fix it Friday, I guess, so drop off the brats while you can, America!!

 

[random3434]

We're the first state with the law, period. I guess everyone else can learn from us what NOT to do.

I'm looking at an article from Sunday's Omaha paper and the first thing that strikes me is that kids being taken to the hospital are now afraid that their parents might leave them. I hadn't thought of that.

It says most of the parents are present in the court proceedings, so their not just dropping them off and saying, "Awright! PAAARTTY!!"

With the tweekers and the abusive-types, our foster-care system is pretty taxed as it is. Maybe more people will get involved. I would if I were financially capable.

The legislature is going to fix it Friday, I guess, so drop off the brats while you can, America!!

So a law that is meant to help keep babies being murdered by their mothers after they are born (and dropped off at a safe haven site) has turned into a place to drop off any kid a parent just got tired of. Sad and Freaky.

Glad they are going to "fix" the law on Friday, but the poor kids who were harmed by it. Then again, what kind of parent would really do that? Where do these older kids end up? Foster Care? Back with the parents who didn't want them? Wards of the State?

 

[glockmail]

Where do you think the children end up? The fire station doesn't just keep them.

Soilent Green.