Neb. lawmakers focus on fixing safe-haven law (controversial, 18 year old, Nebraska)

[JDubsMom]

The mother of an 18 year-old daughter, who asked not to be named to protect the identity of her child, …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska officials geared up Friday for a special legislative session designed to deal with a unique "safe haven" law whose unintendend consequences have allowed parents to abandon nearly three dozen children as old as 17. 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.
As of Friday afternoon, 34 children had been abandoned under the Nebraska law, five of them from other states.

Neb. lawmakers focus on fixing safe-haven law - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081114/ap_on_re_us/safe_haven - broken link)

I'm not sure how I feel about this situation. I am saddened by the number of children being abandoned.

I'm interested in seeing how others feel about this controversial issue.

[Pandamonium]

About 90 percent of the children dropped off so far have received mental health services in the past. State officials say that illustrates there is no lack of services in the state, but people outside state government disagree.

That is telling.

An 11 year old was dropped off because of medical and insurance "woes."
An 18 year old female had several mental health conditions and refused to take her meds. Omaha.com Metro/Region Section
She was adopted and diagnosed as bi-polar and has a LD and has become uncontrollable. However, she was not taken because she is 18.

Staton said he was overwhelmed by his family responsibilities and had to quit his job. He said he couldn't pay the rent or utilities.

"I was able to get the kids to a safe place before they were homeless," he said.

He said he made the final decision Wednesday to take the children to Creighton University Medical Center. He said he handed a woman there the birth certificates and said he was there to surrender his kids.
Father Talks About Abandoning His 9 Kids - Local News Story - KETV Omaha
That's the 9

The family of a 15-year-old boy who was left at a Lincoln hospital under the state's Safe Haven law said leaving him there was their last hope.

The boy's aunt said she and his guardian have tried everything -- medication, psychiatrist, therapy and other methods. "We had to go to the next level," said Cathy Poulin. "He can be made to get help."

Poulin said the boy's mother, her sister, died several years ago. His father left him, she said, and the boy has been living with several other relatives for years. Two Children Left At Hospitals Under 'Safe Haven' Law - News Archive Story - KETV Omaha (http://www.ketv.com/newsarchive/17480033/detail.html - broken link)

In the above, there is the mention of the grandmother dropping of the 11 year old. I have to assume that she was the LG. I haven't found anything yet on him.

Another one in the system in AZ and in Nebraska Nebraska DHHS System: Newsroom: News Releases: Two New Instances of Safe Haven Law Brings Total Children Involved to 26


It is infuriating. I was going to go on a rant, but I'll wait a few minutes and make some coffee. And try again in a half of a cup but no more than two. Maybe.

[Pandamonium]

When it first came out about the Father that had dropped off his 9, I was initially angry. There are cases of one single mother who has adopted 3 of sisters children, 3 of another sisters children and has 4 of her own. So they find themselves not being able to work outside the home and try to maintain a household. I also wanted to jump up and down and scream at my tv because when one chooses to have a child they need to think as if they were forced to raise that child alone. Cause anger and blame is always helpful.

Then the information came out about his circumstances. They were going to be homeless and he probably wasn't able to deal with his grief and not able to meet the needs of any of the children in terms of their grief. His parting words sound almost suicidal. Because there is a history of people killing their children and themselves it was probably the smartest thing he could do. The inlaws have come forward and an aunt is trying to take seven of the children. Did law spur dad to leave nine kids? - Parenting & Family

They are unique because they are at the beginning stages of some type of counseling. One event can effect all of these children in different ways. If they can get counseling that goes above and beyond then its a beautiful thing. They have grabbed the attention of the nation and they may find themselves with a lot of help.......now.

I believe strongly that there are inadequate services or none at all in many areas. If you look at the case of the one child who's mother died and father left and has lived in several relatives household's, there are 2 years of various treatments. This is a child who needs a long term course of action. There is no quick fix.