Another teenager was left at a Nebraska hospital recently, bringing the number of children abandoned under the state's "Safe Haven" law to 24. None of the children have been newborns, and three have been from out of state.

"When lawmakers tackle the issue at a special session on Nov.14, they will find no national consensus on what the age limit should be... Speaker of the legislature, state Sen. Mike Flood, a Republican, said he will introduce a bill establishing a 3-day-old age limit, but the legislature could change that."

There is currently no national standard for Safe Haven law age limits. The laws are created to provide a way for parents to leave a child they can't care for at a hospital, police department, or fire station. According the laws in most states, parents relinquish all rights, and the child becomes immediately available for adoption. Source: Associated Press

Labels: laws, teens, safe-haven

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A Michigan mother is being sought by police - and has lost custody of three of her children - after she abandoned her 13-year-old son at an Omaha Hospital. The woman, an aunt, and a grandmother made the 12-hour drive because Nebraska's Safe Haven law allows parents to leave children younger than 19 at a hospital or fire department if they feel they can't care for the child.

"The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office filed the neglect petition Wednesday against the parents, who adopted the 13-year-old and a 10-year-old sibling out of foster care."

Nebraska's Safe Haven law continues to stir up controversy. It is the only state in which the law applies not only to very young children, but to any child under the age of 19. Opponents of the law criticize its broad age range, and many had expressed concern that the law would be misused in exactly this sort of way. Source: The Detroit Free Press

Labels: laws, controversy, safe-haven

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Nebraska enacted a safe haven law that took effect on July 18th, and in so doing became the final state to implement such a law.

"Passed in February by the state's nonpartisan Legislature, the law specifies that no person can be prosecuted for leaving any child in the custody of any on-duty hospital employee."

What makes Nebraska's law unique is that it defines a "child" as anyone 19 years old or younger. The unusual amendment was passed because opposing legislators felt the risk to babies far outweighed the likelihood that someone would drop off a teenager. Source: InfoZine

Labels: legislation, safe-haven, safe_houses

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments