Tired of parenting?, leave your kid at the hospital!

[SFG75]

I title this thread in jest, really. My state passed a "safe haven" law and the intetion was to allow people to drop off their baby, as opposed to placing it in a trash bin or something like that. The uniteded consequence has been that older children with behavioral issues are being dropped off. To me, it's an indictment of mental health care in my state more than aything else. A lot of people are conflicted about this one. What do you think?

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.

 

[abecedarian]

You know, my dh and I have always joked about taking the kids back to their respective hospitals and saying, "Um you guys goofed, this CAN'T be one of ours.." But who would have ever thought one could actually do such a thing legally?!? Utter folly. For the record, at our house this is the same sort of joke as telling a child they'd better shape up or I'll throw then out in the snow...usually said when there is no snow to toss them into anyway..just a signal to the kid that mom is reaching the end of her patience tether...

 

[Libra]

I am all for the "safe haven" law for babies,but the rest just disgusts me and scares me as to what brings a parent to a point to give their children away?Can you imagine that child feeling not wanted?but then again if the child has been abused, they would prefer to be away from the parent.Sad.

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

If they're that unwanted by their parents, I think that they are better off out of their care. I can't even imagine how they are being treated at home if the parents are okay with dropping them off at a hospital and never seeing them again.

Hopefully now these kids can become part of a more functional, welcoming family. Poor things.