Neb. parents rush to leave kids before law changes

[Sequoia]

The mother was running out of more than patience when she abandoned her 18-year-old daughter at a hospital over the weekend under Nebraska's safe-haven law. She was also running out of time: She knew that state lawmakers would soon meet in a special session to amend the ill-fated law so that it would apply to newborns only.

"Where am I going to get help if they change the law?" said the mother, who lives in Lincoln and asked to not be identified by name to protect her adopted child.

To the state's surprise and embarrassment, more than half of the 33 children legally abandoned under the safe-haven law since it took effect in mid-July have been teenagers.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/13/national/a140108S10.DTL&tsp=1

and....

Authier said her group and others had warned senators after the law passed early this year that there could be problems, but the lawmakers did not believe it.

"It wasn't like talking to a stone wall," Authier said. "It was just that people who aren't in the business of dealing with families, they aren't aware how desperate some of these families are."

Sure enough, 20 teenagers — six 17-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, six 15-year-olds, three 14-year-olds, three 13-year-olds — have been abandoned, along with eight children who were 11 or 12. Five of the children dropped off have been from out of state.

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This is really awful, what must those children feel to be dropped off like that and their parents just run away? Heartless adults. I'm feeling a certain rage over this.

[LostinVA]

1. An 18-year-old is an adult -- how can they be abandoned if they aren't special needs???

[Midlodemocrat]

4. The law, IIRC, goes up to age 19.

I mean, seriously, can you imagine TM on her own? Without access to tanning beds and Mommy? :rofl:

[LostinVA]

6. I feel sorry for TM -- you don't even pay for her to tan any more

I'm surprised it goes up to 19.

[Midlodemocrat]

7. I was, too. But, admittedly, I don't know that much about the law.

And, trust me, that little pest is well cared for. Hell, her father wants to go back to school there when he retires. Something about how wonderful the food is. :rofl:

[uppityperson]

5. Here is the bit on the 18 yr old...

The Lincoln mother who dropped off her 18-year-old daughter said she was repeatedly turned down when she sought help from police, state social services authorities and the girl's school. The woman said her daughter had been diagnosed with a mental illness when she was 12 and had deep psychological scars from childhood abuse and from being left alone with her dead biological mother for a week.

The woman said she felt she had no choice but to leave her daughter at the hospital after a recent flurry of assault, stealing, sleeping around and cutting school.

"I thought she would get help" through the safe-haven law, the mother said.

However, state authorities refused to take the young woman into custody, saying Nebraska law regarding juveniles does not let authorities take in anyone older than 17. The woman left with her daughter.

[jwirr]

9. Mental health care is often not paid for by Medicaid and this may have

been moms way of trying to get her help.

[pnwmom]

10. They can't. At the end of the article it says that state law prohibits

the state from taking anyone over the age of 17, so that mother left the hospital with her daughter.

[Midlodemocrat]

2. When I was teaching high school in CT back in the 80s,

I had two 'throw away' kids who lived with me. In my one bedroom apartment. They had nowhere else to go. I took care of them like they were little brothers; they graduated from high school and went on, eventually, to have very productive and happy lives.

I have three children of my own and I cannot for the life of me imagine cutting those ties. Sure, they are major PITA at times, but not to be able to see them every day? I couldn't do it.

Hell, my eldest is in college and not seeing her every day is really hard. I really, really miss her.

[uppityperson]

3. I won't cast judgement on the parents as I don't know their situations.

However, I think it will get worse before it gets better, what with the depression and all.

My heart breaks for the kids.

[FedUpWithIt All]

8. I think it should stay ALL ages. If parents are overwhelmed and desperate enough to abandon...

the kids then there should be some system in place for them. It would appear that social services that might help a family stay intact is either not enough or not readily available.

I think that the consequences of leaving these families no options may be just as, if not more, damaging to the kids than the drop off option.