Dumping Kids at 'Safe havens'.

**Percy** · 27th-September-2008

For the children, Eh?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-25-Left-kids_N.htm

Nebraska 'safe haven' law for kids has unintended results

By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY

Between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, three fathers walked into two hospitals in Omaha and abandoned their children. One left nine siblings, ages 1 to 17.

The men, unless proven to have abused the kids, won't face prosecution under a new Nebraska law that is unique in the nation. The law allows parents to leave a child at a licensed hospital without explaining why.

Other parents have also used the law to leave their children. Last week, a 13-year-old girl was left. The week before that, two boys ages 11 and 15. In all, fathers, mothers and caregivers in six families — some single parents — have bailed on 14 kids, including seven teens, since the law took effect in July.

"They were tired of their parenting role," says Todd Landry of Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services. He says child behavioral problems, not family financial woes, were a factor in the earlier cases. He says little is known about the three new cases, which are under investigation.

None of the kids was in immediate danger, Landry says. He says the four oldest of the nine siblings were placed together in an emergency shelter and the others in a foster home. "They're struggling to varying degrees with what's happened to them."

Landry says the courts will decide whether to require the parents to pay child support or to try to reunite them with their children.

"This was never the intent of the bill," says Republican state Sen. Arnie Stuthman. He says he co-wrote it to protect newborns from abandonment, but to get enough support for passage, it was changed to cover all children.

"We really opened a can of worms," he says. "We have a mess." He says the law needs to be fixed.

All 50 states have "safe haven" laws, but the others apply only to infants less than 1 year old.

The Nebraska law is the "worst-case scenario of unintended consequences," says Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a research group. He says it allows parents to walk out on troublesome teens.

"We don't endorse the way it was done," says Tracey Johnson of the National Safe Haven Alliance.

**John Dias** · 27th-September-2008

One left NINE siblings... Okay, I get that he would be stressed out. Most anyone would be. But couldn't he have done anything else, such as applying for state services? Yeah, I'm a libertarian, and feel free to point out my hypocrisy in suggesting such a thing. But in my view, fleecing the taxpayers out of some welfare benefits pales in comparison to the emotional and social devastation caused by child abandonment, especially when the kids are at such advanced ages.

There never should have been a safe haven law in the first place. We should be encouraging parents to help and nurture their kids, to eliminate their sense of hopelessness that feeds their desire to make such rash choices as child abandonment. I believe that women abort for the same reason -- a total lack of hope. I suppose a good dose of solid judgment before conception would be in order too. But for those kids already conceived -- and born -- whatever public policy that exists should encourage parents to do better by their children -- strengthening the parent-child bond, not enabling its utter destruction.

**Garak** · 27th-September-2008

I always read about how safe haven laws are designed to prevent single mothers from throwing their baby in a dumpster (or similar).

Insane when you think about it. A mother can abort if she doesn't want the child but if she chooses not to, then changes her mind after birth...she still has options. Fathers, meanwhile, still have no options after conception. Safe haven laws do apply to fathers but most fathers don't have custody so they really are for mothers.

If a father kills a baby, we punish him and that is the end of it. No one asks why or if there needs to be a law to help other fathers (like reforming child alimony enforcement). If a mother kills a baby, we make up excuses and make laws to help other mothers. It's insanity I tell ya.

**shaazam** · 28th-September-2008

the safe haven used to be the loving nuclear family which the feminits and thier skewed laws have been attacking successfully for the last forty years

**Stan** · 28th-September-2008

Quote from Garak

I always read about how safe haven laws are designed to prevent single mothers from throwing their baby in a dumpster (or similar). Insane when you think about it. A mother can abort if she doesn't want the child but if she chooses not to, then changes her mind after birth...she still has options. Fathers, meanwhile, still have no options after conception. Safe haven laws do apply to fathers but most fathers don't have custody so they really are for mothers. If a father kills a baby, we punish him and that is the end of it. No one asks why or if there needs to be a law to help other fathers (like reforming child alimony enforcement). If a mother kills a baby, we make up excuses and make laws to help other mothers. It's insanity I tell ya.

Garak this is why I think that if there was a Male Birth Contol Pill that the dynamic would change.

The Female Birth Control Pill became widely known about and used in the USA in the late 60s / early 70s. Now it is ubiquitous of course.

It changed the dynamic between the sexes as it gave one sided and very reliable control over reproduction to one of the genders.

IF there was a Male Pill and it's use was wide spread there would be immense changes in the dynamic in about 5-10 years.

Note that this would not give men an advantage. It would just balance things out.

**Marx** · 28th-September-2008

Agreed with everything so far.

**shaazam** · 28th-September-2008

""IF there was a Male Pill and it's use was wide spread there would be immense changes in the dynamic in about 5-10 years.

Note that this would not give men an advantage. It would just balance things out.""

feminits don't want no male pill

it might impact on their pool of eligible peonage slaves

" it wasn't me your honour " he ejaculated" I have been taking the Pill since I was 15