Miscellaneous

Safer Havens

By Anne Skove, Esq.

Earlier we noted Nebraska's difficulty with its safe haven law which, as written, does not specify that children who may be dropped off at hospitals be of any particular age.

Now the question is: what to do with the older children?

While many say that it is too traumatic on older children, at least one juvenile court expert in Nebraska says older children should be allowed. Listen to Neb. Officials: Parents Misusing Infant Drop-Off Law, Morning Edition, NPR (September 29, 2008).

It has become clear that many of the older children dropped off (though, not necessarily the ones in the 9-out-of-10 story) had serious problems, and the families were rebuffed by the usual suspects. See Children Left at Nebraska Hospitals: More Details, Judith Graham, Triage, Chicago Tribune (September 28, 2008).

Better that we read a story about a man who dropped off 9 of his 10 children than a man who murdered 9 of his 10 children. Older, non-adoptable children are abandoned in some respects (if not outright) all the time. They run away from their umpteenth foster home, make heroic escapes from abusive homes, raise their younger siblings, are preyed on by gang leaders and others who do not have their best interests at heart, and get looked at funny by shopkeepers, all as they try to cope with school and regular teenager-ness.

It's time to examine what's more traumatic: becoming part of the system (at any age), or giving parents and teens the support they need?

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on September 29, 2008 (boomark / email).