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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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 Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:42 pm Post subject: Nebraska works on fixing child abandonment law |
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081115/ap_on_re_us/safe_haven;_ylt=AjOLjn1UMGN3QqbZuODn0geGWo14
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Nebraska lawmakers got to work Friday in a rare special legislative session designed to repair a unique "safe haven" law that has unintentionally allowed parents to abandon nearly three dozen children as old as 17.
Legislators introduced bills calling for limits on the age of children who can be dropped off at hospitals in an effort to prevent newborns from being dumped in trash bins or other dangerous places.
Nebraska was the last state to enact such a law but didn't include an age limit. That has resulted in 34 children so far being abandoned there, some of them from other states.
Even as the session to correct the law approached, a 5-year-old boy was dropped off at an Omaha hospital on Thursday night. Earlier in the day, a woman dropped off two teenagers at another Omaha hospital, but one of them, a 17-year-old girl, fled. Authorities have not found her yet.
Two bills were introduced Friday; one proposes an age limit of 3 days, and the other would let parents drop off children as old as 15. |
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ReeseDog
Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Location: Classified
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: Nebraska works on fixing child abandonment law |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081115/ap_on_re_us/safe_haven;_ylt=AjOLjn1UMGN3QqbZuODn0geGWo14
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Nebraska lawmakers got to work Friday in a rare special legislative session designed to repair a unique "safe haven" law that has unintentionally allowed parents to abandon nearly three dozen children as old as 17.
Legislators introduced bills calling for limits on the age of children who can be dropped off at hospitals in an effort to prevent newborns from being dumped in trash bins or other dangerous places.
Nebraska was the last state to enact such a law but didn't include an age limit. That has resulted in 34 children so far being abandoned there, some of them from other states.
Even as the session to correct the law approached, a 5-year-old boy was dropped off at an Omaha hospital on Thursday night. Earlier in the day, a woman dropped off two teenagers at another Omaha hospital, but one of them, a 17-year-old girl, fled. Authorities have not found her yet.
Two bills were introduced Friday; one proposes an age limit of 3 days, and the other would let parents drop off children as old as 15. |
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What do you think, Tiger? |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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What do I think? I think its insane that people are dropping off their kids in front of the state, so that the state will take care of them.
I also think its intersting that anti-abortion people have some government program that they can drop off their unwanted newborns to the government.
Interesting how people abused the system though to drop off their teenagers. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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Being from Nebraska, I can tell you that we have atrocious state resources allocated for mental health care by the state. It is no surprise that the majority of kids dropped off have been run through the welfare system already. The frustrating thing is that the unicameral will probably just ramrod the special session, amend the law to infants, and the problems that have been exposed will be ignored, as per usual.
This is definitely a wake up call to the entire country (as numerous children from other states have been left in NE) that our welfare and mental health services need serious reform. I am all in favor of minimal state help, but it has to at least produce some results. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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| nathanrutledge wrote: |
Being from Nebraska, I can tell you that we have atrocious state resources allocated for mental health care by the state. It is no surprise that the majority of kids dropped off have been run through the welfare system already. The frustrating thing is that the unicameral will probably just ramrod the special session, amend the law to infants, and the problems that have been exposed will be ignored, as per usual.
This is definitely a wake up call to the entire country (as numerous children from other states have been left in NE) that our welfare and mental health services need serious reform. I am all in favor of minimal state help, but it has to at least produce some results. |
That so many families are leaving so many older children is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed. In many cases these are not simply "lazy" or "neglectful" parents. Often they have tried all the alternatives, but the child proves just to much for them to handle.
We call them "our" children, but in reality they are just gifts from God for our temporary safekeeping before they inevitably go off and become their own persons by adulthood or even before. Conversely, sometimes a troubled "individuality" asserts itself before adulthood, and is too much for a parent to handle.
A parent unable to cope with a child ought not be forced into doing so. Such scenarios can lead to abuse or worse. It would be an improvement if there were households prepared or willing to attempt to deal with older problem children on short notice (unlike the present child welfare system in which kids may languish for years before going to a suitable placement). |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| bacasper wrote: |
| In many cases these are not simply "lazy" or "neglectful" parents. Often they have tried all the alternatives, but the child proves just to much for them to handle. |
Claim. Evidence?
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| We call them "our" children, but in reality they are just gifts from God for our temporary safekeeping before they inevitably go off and become their own persons by adulthood or even before. Conversely, sometimes a troubled "individuality" asserts itself before adulthood, and is too much for a parent to handle. |
How many gifts from god have you been given lately?
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| A parent unable to cope with a child ought not be forced into doing so. |
Yes, that's why other states have a process where a parent can make their child a ward of the state but there's a process, not just pushing the kid out a car. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:24 am Post subject: |
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| Luckily this law wasn't in effect in Mass when I grew up. My parents and I get along great now, but back when I was a teenager I think they would have seriously considered leaving me in a police station parking lot. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:24 am Post subject: |
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dp...
Last edited by caniff on Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:55 am Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| bacasper wrote: |
| In many cases these are not simply "lazy" or "neglectful" parents. Often they have tried all the alternatives, but the child proves just to much for them to handle. |
Claim. Evidence? |
Only personal clinical experience and that of colleagues.
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| We call them "our" children, but in reality they are just gifts from God for our temporary safekeeping before they inevitably go off and become their own persons by adulthood or even before. Conversely, sometimes a troubled "individuality" asserts itself before adulthood, and is too much for a parent to handle. |
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| How many gifts from god have you been given lately? |
I've had my share, thanks.
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| A parent unable to cope with a child ought not be forced into doing so. |
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| Yes, that's why other states have a process where a parent can make their child a ward of the state but there's a process, not just pushing the kid out a car. |
Yes, they do, but as I stated, that process often takes too long, hence my suggested alternative. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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| bacasper wrote: |
| Yes, they do, but as I stated, that process often takes too long, hence my suggested alternative. |
Sure takes too long if you're an asshole. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| bacasper wrote: |
| Yes, they do, but as I stated, that process often takes too long, hence my suggested alternative. |
Sure takes too long if you're an asshole. |
I suppose you should know.
It sure takes too long if you are an 8-year-old who must wait two years for a placement.
It is sad if one is unable to appreciate that, or if one must resort to childish epithets and is incapable of engaging in serious discussion.
If you have anger or maturity issues, psychotherapy can be of great assistance. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:13 am Post subject: |
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| bacasper wrote: |
| mindmetoo wrote: |
| bacasper wrote: |
| Yes, they do, but as I stated, that process often takes too long, hence my suggested alternative. |
Sure takes too long if you're an asshole. |
I suppose you should know.
It sure takes too long if you are an 8-year-old who must wait two years for a placement.
It is sad if one is unable to appreciate that, or if one must resort to childish epithets and is incapable of engaging in serious discussion.
If you have anger or maturity issues, psychotherapy can be of great assistance. |
And in those two years what services are available to help a family cope? Or are all families lost causes in your view and parents should have a drive thru option? Geez. |
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