Nebraska's Safe Haven Law Is Being Reworked

Nebraska state senators are hard at work in a special legislative session to repair the state's new safe haven law which resulted in 34 children being left at hospitals across the state. Safe haven laws are primarily intended to protect newborns, however out of the 34 children dropped off at area hospitals since the law was enacted in July 2008, not one of them has been an infant. In fact, 28 of the 34 are older than 10 years old.

The way Nebraska's current safe haven law reads allows for a "child" to be abandoned at a hospital, without parental prosecution. A child in Nebraska is defined as being under the age of 19. As Nebraska legislatures work to make a change in the law's language, the worry is that more desperate parents and care givers may rush to Nebraska. Children have been abandoned by their parents from as far away as Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Florida and Georgia.

It is unfair for Nebraska to be placed with the responsibility of these children as their plate is already full with an overload of 6,600 children in their state's custody. The children being unloaded in Nebraska from other states is probably pushing the limits of their availability of services.

It's like what my mom would tell me after I asked for a friend to have dinner with us, "We can't afford to feed the whole neighborhood." I'm sure Nebraska is feeling the same.

The process to change the law:

Early next week there will be a public hearing on the proposed changes. One bill wants the new age limit to be no older than 3 days, while another bill is seeking 30 days. There is also talk that the compromise may be 1 year of age. State senators will then have 3 rounds of debate with a final vote as early as November 21. The bill that is approved with a 2/3rd majority vote will come into effect after the Governor signs.

But until the final vote on this bill, parents will still make that long drive to Nebraska. But before putting the "pedal to the metal" and head to Nebraska, consider seeking help from family and friends. Contact your local social services department. Ask your church for assistance and while you're there, seek comfort in your chosen faith or belief system. Above all - seek help before getting into a crisis.

We've parented 3 troubled teens. Our oldest 2 went into crisis mode and things were a nightmare for a few years. I know the stress that these parents are feeling. At times, it seemed like finding help was a bigger nightmare than their behaviors. (Not to mention the feeling that we were horrible, defective parents for needing help! Parents - we feel your pain.)

We learned through this not to wait for trouble, so with our third son we have already sought help, before he goes into crisis. If your child won't go into therapy, go for yourself. If you can't afford it, ask if they have a sliding fee schedule, take payments, or again, check with local churches to see if counseling may be offered by a minister or priest. Don't give up!

Some interesting stats on 30 of the 34 children taken in under Nebraska's safe haven law:

• 27 have received mental health treatment
• 28 have come from single parent homes
• 20 are white and 8 are African American
• 22 have a parent with a history of incarceration

SOURCES:
Nebraska fears rush to drop off kids before haven law change - CNN
Neb. lawmakers focus on fixing safe-haven law - MSNBC

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Suggested Reading:

• What Are Safe Haven Laws?
• When a Child's Behavior Problem Threatens the Adoptive Family
• A New Study Looks at Troubled Teens
• Avoiding Child Abuse in Times of Stress