There have probably been times where you wish that a sibling of yours would just disappear. It might have been after they took your iPod and wasted the battery, or maybe wouldn't let you on the computer when you needed to type an essay that was due for the next day. If you have felt that way, imagine how often your parents might wish you or your sibling would just disappear. Well, now that wish can come true with the Safe Haven Law.
Nebraska, up until July, was the only state in the United States that did not have a safe haven law, or a law that allowed parents or guardians the legal ability to transfer custody of a child to the state. The safe haven law, in Nebraska, was instituted into law in July. Since then 16 children, newborn to 17, have been dropped off at various hospitals under the safe haven law (the law applies to children to age 19). Probably the most "famous" case is when a father dropped 9 of his 10 children saying he could no longer care for them. In other states, the average is 3 infants dropped off per month. The parents or guardian of these children will not be charged for abandonment. This law not only allows children from Nebraska to be dropped off, but also other children from other states. (And, 1 child has been dropped off from Iowa.)
The procedure when a child is dropped off under the safe haven law is as follows. First, hospital staff asks for any information that the person dropping the child off will provide, like the child's name and medical history. Then, the child is taken to the emergency room, examined, and then the child protective services and the police are called. After that, the county attorney starts the Juvenile Court process to place the child. But after this where does the child go?
The state does not have the means to take care of these children. The foster care system is broken and the only teenager psychiatric ward is at Immanuel Hospital which is inadequate to care for the number of cases in Omaha and surrounding areas. At the same time, if a parent or guardian is willing to go and drop the child off at a hospital and never see them again, this is an unsafe situation for the child to grow up in because of the possibility of abuse. Whose fault is it really if a child's behavior is so bad that the parents want to get rid of their child? Is it really the child's fault or is it the parent's for not raising them correctly? When parents have a child, it is a big responsibility, and if a parent wants to give up, does the state have to go in and fix their problem for them? Shouldn't the parents have considered this responsibility before having the child? Is this a state's responsibility or the parents to take care of children? But at the same time, how could we really turn a blind eye to the abuse that this law is preventing or stopping? Don't we need a law that will protect children from abusive relationships? So how do we deal with these problems? Do we close our eyes to the problem or try to fix it? And then do we restrict the age limits of the law and give different means for help? Or, do we leave the age limits how they are? And then how do we take care of the children dropped off in result of the law?
The state of Nebraska is considering changing the law's age limits on the children dropped off under the safe haven law, because the surprising number of teenagers is being dropped off but is that enough? If so many children are being dropped off, is this a law we obviously need or is it being taken advantage of? The question is what should our action be?
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15 comments:
This law was put in place to save children who would be better off in a new home. However, it seems people are abusing this law. On Tuesday, a 14 year old Iowa girl was left at Creighton University Medical Center by her grandparents. They were just trying to "teach her a lesson" but soon changed their minds and took her back. Is it just me, or is this the complete opposite of what this law was meant to accomplish?
This law is important to have here because it will save kids from an abusive situation and help them have a better live than they would if they stayed where they were. I think it's stupid that parents are dropping off their trouble-maker teenagers. The only reason why they get into trouble is because the parents didn't teach them well enough or give them enough attention and now they don't want to take responsibility for the kids now. I don't think that should be okay, that would be abusing the Safe Haven Law.
I agree that it seems like this law is being abuse. Most parents of teenagers are dropping them off at a hospital because of this law. But what parent doesn't get tired of their teenager? Most of teenagers want to be rebellious. Thats the parents job to control that. Not the governments.
Most likely the parents will want their kids back after they drop them off any ways. Just like the father who dropped off all 8 or 9 of his kids.
Does this law allow us to drop off AP and Honors Govenment students at Midlands Hospital? Just curious, because I know this uh..teacher friend of mine who uh...was wondering.
i agree that the government made this law to help parents and children who acually are in touble. I think that all the parents that are dropping their kids there just to teach them a lesson or if they can't control thier kids should not be able to do that. THey need to be able to teach their kids and displine them
I still think this is a good law. It allows children to get the help they need, but there should be some restriction. Someone shouldn't be able to drop of a kid to teach them a lesson.
These teenagers that parents and grandparents are dropping off are not just rebellious or trouble makers. Some of them have mental problems, are mentally unstable, or could hurt themselves or others. Their guardians can't pay for treatments, and these children need help. If the state doesn't help these kids they could cause harm to themselves or others. Or the other situation is the parents can't take care of their children, and you don't want something bad to happen to the children. So the safe haven law protects these children.
I don't think this is a bad law, but I do think the state should be putting more restrictions and thought into the law. Because there are many situations when the baby may not have been planned, and the family doesn't have the means to support a child, but they don't want to have an abortion.
Can kids turn in parents under this law?
Parents can only raise a kid in the ways that they know how. The parents of most serial killers hold very little responsibility. In most instances, by the time the signs start to show, it is way too late. Keeping a "bad" kid is not a punishment for being a "bad parent."
While I realize that this law was intended for parents who did not have the means to care for their infants, it may be necessary to use on adolescents. I will be the first to tell you that this is not the ideal solution. I do think that it is currently being abused, but for parents who are truly exhausted and have tried everything, dropping them off at a hospital may be the best thing for everyone involved.
My heart aches for both the parents and the kids in these situations, but if a child is becoming a danger to himself and others, it's time for outside interventions.
I dont think this law is bad it just needs to be changed up a bit. If you are a child older than say 6 years old, you should go to sessions with a therapist to try and fix the relationship and if they cant than they can enter the foster care. I'm not saying there should be consequences but make it a little bit harder for parents to drop off their kid. This way the option is present yet it might dissuade those parents are doing it because they are too lazy to parent correctly.
look at this. "can we drop off students?" "parents?"
i realize its only a joke. or at least i hope so.
but look its sending the message that if you get sick of someone...dont worry you can just go drop them off at a hospital.
where is the love?
I agree with the fact that this law is being abused. But when you have sincere cases like the man who dropped off his 9 kids and felt like he couldn't help them without getting help first, and his life being completely changed after his wife passed away recently, it's hard not to support this law. I think they should put an age limit on this law, and not let any teens be able to be dropped off.
I really don't like this law. It had good intentions but people are seriously abusing it. Dropping off teenagers because of bad behavior? That's ridiculous. People should be able to come up with a better solution then that. If this law is going to remain then there really should be more restrictions or something to go along with it to prevent people from ridiculously abusing this law.
i'm really not too fond of this law. it just gives parents a place to dump off their pain-in-the-butt teens. all teens have their days when they are intolerable. it doesn't mean that our parents should just ship us off to some random hospital.
sooner or later they will miss us whether they admit it or not.
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