Personal Injury Law

Dad Who Left 9 Kids Talks

By Jane Akre

His life just "fell apart".

That's the word from out-of-work widower Gary Staton who spoke to KETV -TV Omaha, about why he abandoned his nine children at a hospital under Nebraska's new safe haven law.

"I hope they know I love them," he said.  "I hope their future is better without me around them."

Staton relinquished custody to the five boys and four girls, ages 1 to 17, at Creighton University Medical Center Wednesday night when he handed a woman the birth certificates of the children and said he was there to surrender them.

An 18-year-old daughter was not dropped off. She graduated high school one year early to care for her younger siblings and didn't live at home, according to KETV.

The couple had been cited in 2004 for child neglect, the television station reports. 

The station's web site has an interview with someone in silhouette. The quotes appear to come directly from Staton who does not appear on camera in the story on the station's web site.

Nebraska considers minors to include teens up to the age of 19, and all are covered under the new law, intended to protect infants from overwhelmed new parents. 

Staton's wife died early last year of a brain aneurysm shortly after giving birth to their youngest child.  He then had to quit his job so couldn't pay rent or utilities.  

Staton said he surrendered his children so they would be safe.

"I was with her for 17 years, and then she was gone. What was I going to do? We raised them together. I didn't think I could do it alone. I fell apart. I couldn't' take care of them."  

He says he wanted to get them to a safe place before they were homeless.

Parental rights are not automatically terminated under Safe Haven laws, but charges will not be filed under the law, unless there are signs of parental abuse.  

AP is reporting that at least 16 children have been abandoned since the law went into effect in July.  The state is keeping track of the children, many of whom are teenagers.

Wednesday night, the television station reports two other boys, one 11 and one 15 from other families were also dropped off at area Safe Haven centers.

The legislature will be revisiting the age limits on Safe Haven when they reconvene in January. Many other states limit Safe Haven laws to include children up to the age of one. #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on September 26, 2008 (boomark / email).