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O-M-G! I'd be livid. Nobody knows the emotional toll abortion takes on people, let alone a 15 year old girl. And who is the mindless bot at the medical center who thought it is perfectly okay, just because Washington is stupid enough to not put an age limit in its law, to put someone's daughter in a cab to go get or potentially go get an abortion. Did they even have the right to send the child off school property? The heck with the law--where is the common sense. Some 15 year olds THINK they know what is best for them. It sometimes takes a LOT of patience and discussion to really get down to them realizing what is a good choice. Sometimes they make great decisions. This is particularly with girls. Boys are a little different.
I'd have meetings with that clinic and the school. I'd have many meetings. I'd look at every document to see if this clinic had the right to send my child off campus unsupervised in a cab for a potential medical procedure. I'd severely limit or revoke my agreement for the "clinic" to treat my daughter. I might even put myself on the School Board Agenda to talk about this, which is the public's right to do.
Most importantly, I'd get my daughter some counseling she and I trusted to make sure she was okay with what occurred to her, to make sure this didn't come back to haunt her later in life.
Then my husband would step in.
I shudder to think of my own children being whisked off in a cab for an abortion or anything by their school without my permission, even if they think they want to do it.
The school has NO RIGHT to do anything with any child unless the parent knows about it and or ask for permission to discuss personal matters.
Nancy Pelosi said at one time that any teenager has the right to seek and abortion through using school counselors and the parents did not need to know about it.
This is wrong.
Keep the school out of peoples personal life. Especially when it comes to helping someone abort a baby.
It is NOT the schools job to teach sex education or get involved in anything to do with it.
Another left wing idea that the parents are not smart enough to make a good decision on anything.
And yes, if this were my child I would be in jail over this. This is my job and they need to mind their own business.
You have obviously read none of this post, I suggest you do so. And familiarize yourself with age of consent for abortion by state.
O-M-G! I'd be livid. Nobody knows the emotional toll abortion takes on people, let alone a 15 year old girl. And who is the mindless bot at the medical center who thought it is perfectly okay, just because Washington is stupid enough to not put an age limit in its law, to put someone's daughter in a cab to go get or potentially go get an abortion. Did they even have the right to send the child off school property? The heck with the law--where is the common sense. Some 15 year olds THINK they know what is best for them. It sometimes takes a LOT of patience and discussion to really get down to them realizing what is a good choice. Sometimes they make great decisions. This is particularly with girls. Boys are a little different.
I'd have meetings with that clinic and the school. I'd have many meetings. I'd look at every document to see if this clinic had the right to send my child off campus unsupervised in a cab for a potential medical procedure. I'd severely limit or revoke my agreement for the "clinic" to treat my daughter. I might even put myself on the School Board Agenda to talk about this, which is the public's right to do.
Most importantly, I'd get my daughter some counseling she and I trusted to make sure she was okay with what occurred to her, to make sure this didn't come back to haunt her later in life.
Then my husband would step in.
I shudder to think of my own children being whisked off in a cab for an abortion or anything by their school without my permission, even if they think they want to do it.
In all fairness, the clinic is run by Swedish Medical Center of Seattle. While apparently located at the school, it is possible the school had no knowledge or input into what was occurring (not that I think it legally makes a difference anyway given Washington law about minors and abortion).
In any event, it does seem a strange setup. I found this on the Swedish Medical Center webpage (the underlined part is my emphasis):
Health-care services at Ballard High School
The Ballard Teen Health Center is a partnership between Swedish and Ballard High School to provide students at the school with physical and mental-health services. Teens visit the center for treatments ranging from illnesses and injuries to confidential family-planning services, STD testing and mental-health counseling. The center, which was started by Swedish in 2002, also provides smoking-cessation programs, nutrition and exercise counseling, general health information and school-wide health promotion and classroom presentations. The center targets adolescents who are uninsured or underinsured and those who have no other options for medical care and counseling.
Carrie's mom was furious that Carrie had been stricken with "The Sin of Eve" (her Period), and then, that Carrie was going to the Prom....in a dress that showed her "Dirty Pillows".
What I'm saying is that there are plenty of kids who cannot trust their parents to make sane decisions on their behalf. Those are precisely the kind of parents who would be "furious" over such a thing, but also "furious" that a daughter was going to have an abortion....and who might forbid it...if only to ruin the lives of their kids, in the spiteful way that psycho-parents frequently do. Notice that this woman is not worried sick about the welfare of her daughter: only that she, the mom, was left out of the drama. A truly good mom would be too busy comforting her daughter, to be lashing-out at the school.
Assuming that most parents are middle-class, educated, sympathetic, altruistic, Norwegian Lutherans, who always do the right thing, is pretty anachronistic. Kids maybe need more autonomy, now, if simply because parents are not as sane and responsible as they used to be (in America....or what used to be America).
you know, deep down, I would be upset, not at the school, but at my daughter. but then again,if my daughter was having a secret abortion w/o even telling me, I'd be FAR more worried abut the state of our relationship vs. the school's involvement. in some cases, the communication between teens and parents is so bad, the school has to step in in some aspect. if I was this girl's mother, I would spend less time being angry at the school and more angry at the deterioration of my relationship w/ my own daughter and why she chose to do something so serious w/o telling me.
I think it's a great thing that girls can seek help w/o parental consent. again, sometimes the communication just isn't there and, despite her age, it is still her body. so long as she makes an informed decision, it is still hers to make. and I find it strange that there are some comments here stating she is too young and immature to make such a decision. really? yet she is old and mature enough to raise a child? I never could understand this reasoning, that a 15yo is too young/immature to make an informed decision of whether or not to continue w/ a pregnancy but is mature enough to be saddled w/ a child or even safely carry a baby to term and put it up for adoption. we let young mother keep their babies w/o worry about their maturity levels (though, lord knows, I wish we could evaluate the maturity levels of ALL parents before handing over their child) so why not let them decide if they are ready to be mothers in the first place? if the girl is too immature to make such a decision, what would make a parent think she'll become mature enough to raise a baby (I know, I know, adoption is an option, but that decision is no easier to make). when it comes to pregnancy, every single option can be difficult and have an emotional impact on life, whether it be abortion, adoption, or keeping and raising the child. either allow the girl to make an informed decision from all 3 or deem she is too young/immature to decide on any of them (and it seems to me the anti-choice crowd never questions if a young mother is even ready or willing to carry to term or raise the child, they're just willing to limit her choices)
sorry didn't read all the responses in this thread, just tossing out my quick opinion
Last edited by eevee; 03-24-2010 at 07:40 PM..
Reason: sp, added stuff
Okay, so I don't know why I didn't do this earlier, but I went to the Ballard HS webpage. On there they have a copy of the consent form the mother singed.
Not only does it say the clinic provides access to reproductive heath care, it even states that if the child (the student) seeks out such health care, that information will and cannot be released without the child's permission. Here are two sections of the consent form the mother signed:
"School-Based Health Centers located in Seattle Public Schools must have a signed consent from a parent or legal guardian before providing services to youth, except in situations where federal and/or state laws allow youth to access such treatment without parent/guardian consent. Youth may independently access reproductive health care at any age; they may independently receive drug and alcohol services and mental health counseling from age thirteen. If necessary, the Centers will inform youth of options for outside care and will assist the youth in discussing these issues with parents/guardians. If the youth is enrolled in school but is not enrolled in a School-Based Health Center, he/she can continue to receive school nurse services."
"I understand the youth’s consent is legally required for release of information about the following kinds of diagnoses and treatment: pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS testing), and alcohol and drug or mental health counseling." I have received a copy of the Swedish Medical Center's Notice of Health Information Practices, which provides information about how the student's health information may be used and disclosed.
I am not against the school helping, I am not against the state helping....I am against the SNEEKYNESS of not telling (or getting permission from) the CUSTODIAL GUARDIAN/PARENT (responsible party)
I believe that the school/clinic over stepped its bounds.....state law aside, the fact is the child is still a minor (it really doesnt matter in a quirky state wants to allow 15 year olds get abortions......) .......guarentee if the MINOR vandelized the school, they would be coming after the PARENT for retrobution
the laws/rules/regulations are all screwy...why is it the schools can spank a child, but a parent cant???? why do you need a permission slip w/ insurance info for a fieldtrip, but you dont need permission to have the child get an abortion....see the screwyness or (maybe hyprocracy is a better word)
If this was my daughter, I would want to GO WITH HER, to support her, to tell the doctors that she is a bleeder, to tell the doctors what blood type she is (most 15 yr olds dont even know their types)....the school WITHHOLDING that info , and taking the student OFF CAMPUS without permisssion was WRONG
Last edited by workingclasshero; 03-24-2010 at 07:55 PM..
Okay, so I don't know why I didn't do this earlier, but I went to the Ballard HS webpage. On there they have a copy of the consent form the mother singed.
Not only does it say the clinic provides access to reproductive heath care, it even states that if the child (the student) seeks out such health care, that information will and cannot be released without the child's permission. Here are two sections of the consent form the mother signed:
"School-Based Health Centers located in Seattle Public Schools must have a signed consent from a parent or legal guardian before providing services to youth, except in situations where federal and/or state laws allow youth to access such treatment without parent/guardian consent. Youth may independently access reproductive health care at any age; they may independently receive drug and alcohol services and mental health counseling from age thirteen. If necessary, the Centers will inform youth of options for outside care and will assist the youth in discussing these issues with parents/guardians. If the youth is enrolled in school but is not enrolled in a School-Based Health Center, he/she can continue to receive school nurse services."
"I understand the youth’s consent is legally required for release of information about the following kinds of diagnoses and treatment: pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS testing), and alcohol and drug or mental health counseling." I have received a copy of the Swedish Medical Center's Notice of Health Information Practices, which provides information about how the student's health information may be used and disclosed.
You're absoultely entitled to your opinion. However, the clinic and the school can only tell the mother that information if her daughter gives them permission. That's state law. Not only is it state law, the consent form the mother signed states this 2 separate times, as well as makes the mother acknowleged she recieved "Swedish Medical Center's Notice of Health Information Practices, which provides information about how the student's health information may be used and disclosed."
I don't see where this authorizes the clinic to take the child off school property for a potention abortion without parent consent. I see they inform youth of options for outside care, but not arrange for it. They also indicate they assist the youth in discussing this with parents/guardians. I think they went beyond the scope of this agreement, if this is it. Thanks for posting this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by denverkid
Okay, so I don't know why I didn't do this earlier, but I went to the Ballard HS webpage. On there they have a copy of the consent form the mother singed.
Not only does it say the clinic provides access to reproductive heath care, it even states that if the child (the student) seeks out such health care, that information will and cannot be released without the child's permission. Here are two sections of the consent form the mother signed:
"School-Based Health Centers located in Seattle Public Schools must have a signed consent from a parent or legal guardian before providing services to youth, except in situations where federal and/or state laws allow youth to access such treatment without parent/guardian consent. Youth may independently access reproductive health care at any age; they may independently receive drug and alcohol services and mental health counseling from age thirteen. If necessary, the Centers will inform youth of options for outside care and will assist the youth in discussing these issues with parents/guardians. If the youth is enrolled in school but is not enrolled in a School-Based Health Center, he/she can continue to receive school nurse services."
"I understand the youth’s consent is legally required for release of information about the following kinds of diagnoses and treatment: pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS testing), and alcohol and drug or mental health counseling." I have received a copy of the Swedish Medical Center's Notice of Health Information Practices, which provides information about how the student's health information may be used and disclosed.
The mother is either horribly stupid, very forgetful, or just a liar to claim "But I didn't know."
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