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| Safe haven or last resort? | Safe haven or last resort? |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| By Lucy Wilkins BBC News The safe haven laws are designed to protect the child and the parent | By Lucy Wilkins BBC News The safe haven laws are designed to protect the child and the parent |
| With the best intentions in the world, Nebraska lawmakers wanted to prevent harm coming to unwanted babies abandoned by their parents, the so-called "dumpster babies". | With the best intentions in the world, Nebraska lawmakers wanted to prevent harm coming to unwanted babies abandoned by their parents, the so-called "dumpster babies". |
| So, following other US states, they voted for a "safe haven" law. | So, following other US states, they voted for a "safe haven" law. |
| They passed the briefest of legislation - just two sentences - protecting parents from prosecution if they left a child at a designated hospital. | They passed the briefest of legislation - just two sentences - protecting parents from prosecution if they left a child at a designated hospital. |
| But it was that single word "child" which had unexpected consequences for them. | But it was that single word "child" which had unexpected consequences for them. |
| It was widely assumed to mean any person under the age of 18, and so within two months more than 20 parents had abandoned children - not their newborn babies, but their growing teenagers. | It was widely assumed to mean any person under the age of 18, and so within two months more than 20 parents had abandoned children - not their newborn babies, but their growing teenagers. |
| One father left his four daughters and five sons, the oldest being 17. | One father left his four daughters and five sons, the oldest being 17. |
| His one-year-old daughter was the youngest of the 34 children abandoned between 13 September and 14 November, according to Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services. | His one-year-old daughter was the youngest of the 34 children abandoned between 13 September and 14 November, according to Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services. |
| Other states specifically limit the age at which a child can be abandoned without the parent being criminally liable for abandonment. See age limits for safe haven set by states | Other states specifically limit the age at which a child can be abandoned without the parent being criminally liable for abandonment. See age limits for safe haven set by states |
| These range widely, from 72 hours to one year, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, but none are anywhere close to 18 years of age. | These range widely, from 72 hours to one year, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, but none are anywhere close to 18 years of age. |
| Great opportunity | Great opportunity |
| The safe haven laws began with Texas (60 days) in 1999. They were designed to show struggling mothers that there was an alternative to leaving the unwanted offspring in a rubbish bin or toilet cubicle. People seriously underestimated the pain of Nebraska's families Steven BoesBoys Town charity | The safe haven laws began with Texas (60 days) in 1999. They were designed to show struggling mothers that there was an alternative to leaving the unwanted offspring in a rubbish bin or toilet cubicle. People seriously underestimated the pain of Nebraska's families Steven BoesBoys Town charity |
| While law enforcement agencies are informed when the child is abandoned, for the parents - and they were all single parents except for two cases - in Nebraska the option of leaving their children without punishment was too great an opportunity to miss. | While law enforcement agencies are informed when the child is abandoned, for the parents - and they were all single parents except for two cases - in Nebraska the option of leaving their children without punishment was too great an opportunity to miss. |
| It also appealed to parents from five other states who drove to Nebraska to leave their children, among them an 11-year-old boy from Florida and a 16-year-old girl from Arizona. | It also appealed to parents from five other states who drove to Nebraska to leave their children, among them an 11-year-old boy from Florida and a 16-year-old girl from Arizona. |
| When the governor announced a review of the law, after a 48-hour-stretch in which four children were abandoned, a further seven were abandoned in 10 days. | When the governor announced a review of the law, after a 48-hour-stretch in which four children were abandoned, a further seven were abandoned in 10 days. |
| And in what could be the final abandonment under the original law, a five-year-old boy was left less than 24 hours before senators assembled to discuss the issue. | And in what could be the final abandonment under the original law, a five-year-old boy was left less than 24 hours before senators assembled to discuss the issue. |
| Many groups urged parents to take responsibility for their children | Many groups urged parents to take responsibility for their children |
| The Department of Health and Human Services has condensed the bleak circumstances of the abandoned children into an anonymous table of statistics to provide a snapshot for Nebraska's senators ahead of their special session to change the law. | The Department of Health and Human Services has condensed the bleak circumstances of the abandoned children into an anonymous table of statistics to provide a snapshot for Nebraska's senators ahead of their special session to change the law. |
| The table, which was prepared when the tally stood at 30 children, shows that all were urban dwellers, 20 were white and the rest black except for one of mixed white-Native American background. | The table, which was prepared when the tally stood at 30 children, shows that all were urban dwellers, 20 were white and the rest black except for one of mixed white-Native American background. |
| Encouragingly, all had been "safe from immediate harm" when abandoned. | Encouragingly, all had been "safe from immediate harm" when abandoned. |
| But over half had previously been wards of the state - all but one case had involved previous allegations of abuse or neglect and most had received some level of mental health care. | But over half had previously been wards of the state - all but one case had involved previous allegations of abuse or neglect and most had received some level of mental health care. |
| 'Desperate parents' | 'Desperate parents' |
| Father Steven Boes, national executive director of the charity Boys Town, said the number of abandoned children had exposed a gap which already existed in helping families struggling with behavioural issues. | Father Steven Boes, national executive director of the charity Boys Town, said the number of abandoned children had exposed a gap which already existed in helping families struggling with behavioural issues. |
| "There are really desperate parents out there. Many have been trying to get services for a long time," he told the BBC. | "There are really desperate parents out there. Many have been trying to get services for a long time," he told the BBC. |
| I was using the law because my son is a danger to himself and the family at home Mother who abandoned son | I was using the law because my son is a danger to himself and the family at home Mother who abandoned son |
| "People seriously underestimated the pain of Nebraska's families." | "People seriously underestimated the pain of Nebraska's families." |
| He advocates a quicker and more appropriate response from the state for treating troubled children, but still urges parents to take responsibility. | He advocates a quicker and more appropriate response from the state for treating troubled children, but still urges parents to take responsibility. |
| "Some parents don't have the capacity to wait for help, they may not have the social skills, the patience to wait and wade through what the state offers, but they need to be strong and the state needs to be responsive." | "Some parents don't have the capacity to wait for help, they may not have the social skills, the patience to wait and wade through what the state offers, but they need to be strong and the state needs to be responsive." |
| While a one-year-old may not realise the impact of their parent driving away from them at a hospital, a 15-year-old certainly will, Father Boes said. | While a one-year-old may not realise the impact of their parent driving away from them at a hospital, a 15-year-old certainly will, Father Boes said. |
| "If parents truly give up on children, it is difficult for the child to overcome. The damage has been done." | "If parents truly give up on children, it is difficult for the child to overcome. The damage has been done." |
| One mother complained of the coverage given to the issue and explained her reasons for abandoning her son in a letter published in the Omaha World-Herald newspaper. | One mother complained of the coverage given to the issue and explained her reasons for abandoning her son in a letter published in the Omaha World-Herald newspaper. |
| "I did not leave my child under the safe haven law because I did not want to be a parent, nor did I not want the responsibility of being a parent. | "I did not leave my child under the safe haven law because I did not want to be a parent, nor did I not want the responsibility of being a parent. |
| "I was using the law because my son is a danger to himself and the family at home. I also stated [to officials] I took him to the hospital I did because he needed more help than I am able to give him." | "I was using the law because my son is a danger to himself and the family at home. I also stated [to officials] I took him to the hospital I did because he needed more help than I am able to give him." |
| As for the outcomes for some of the children and teenagers - eight were housed with relatives, six in a shelter and 11 in foster care. | As for the outcomes for some of the children and teenagers - eight were housed with relatives, six in a shelter and 11 in foster care. |
| Two were in hospital, one in a group home and one had gone back to their parents. | Two were in hospital, one in a group home and one had gone back to their parents. |
MAX AGE AT WHICH CHILD CAN BE LEFT IN 'SAFE HAVEN' | MAX AGE AT WHICH CHILD CAN BE LEFT IN 'SAFE HAVEN' |
All states except Nebraska | All states except Nebraska |
| Three to seven days 14 days One month 45 - 90 days One year Alabama Delaware Arkansas Indiana Missouri Arizona Iowa Connecticut Kansas North Dakota California Virginia Idaho New Mexico  Colorado Wyoming Montana South Dakota  Florida  Nevada Texas  Georgia  Louisiana   Hawaii  Maine   Illinois  New Jersey   Kentucky  Oregon   Maryland  Pennsylvania   Massachusetts  Rhode Island   Michigan  South Carolina   Minnesota  Vermont   Mississippi  West Virginia   New Hampshire    New York  Alaska (21 days)   North Carolina     Ohio     Oklahoma     Tennessee     Utah     Washington     Wisconsin     The District of Columbia has no safe haven law | |
| Back to story | Back to story |
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