Another teenage girl abandoned at Omaha hospital
Posted: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- A 15-year-old girl was abandoned by her father Tuesday night at an Omaha hospital, bringing to 22 the number of children left under the state's unique safe-haven law since it took effect in July.
In a statement issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Children and Family Services division director Todd Landry says there is every indication the girl is from Nebraska.
She was left at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha.
State officials declined to answer any other questions about the case until Wednesday when more information could be gathered.
The latest case follows the abandonment of another 15-year-old girl on Monday. Landry said that girl, who was left at Creighton University Medical Center, was from Douglas County.
Authorities continue to investigate that case. The girl, meanwhile, has been placed in a residential shelter, Landry said.
Nebraska's safe-haven law is the only one in the country that lets anyone leave a child as old as 18 at a state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution for the abandonment.
The law took effect in July, but all of the abandonments have occurred over the past two months. The youngest child abandoned was only a year old; 12 of the 22 were teenagers.
The children have included a child from Iowa, one from Michigan and one from Georgia. The children from Iowa and Michigan have been returned to their states, but the 12-year-old boy from Smyrna, Ga., was just driven up by his mother and left on Saturday.
Lancaster County officials said Tuesday afternoon the Georgia boy will be turned over to a Cobb County, Ga., child protective worker on Wednesday to return to his home state and a Wednesday afternoon court hearing. The boy will remain in Georgia custody at least until a judge decides who should take care of him.
Most states let parents and guardians drop off children who are up to a month old at hospitals or other safe institutions.
Nebraska's law was intended to protect infants, but it was written to include the word "child," which wasn't defined in the law.
Most of Nebraska's 49 lawmakers have agreed to amend the law, so it applies only to infants up to 3 days old. But they'll likely have to wait until the Legislature reconvenes January to act because Gov. Dave Heineman has resisted calls for a special session.
Nebraska officials have stressed that the safe-haven law should be used for children in immediate danger only.
State officials have said parents and caregivers contemplating using the law need to understand there is no guarantee a child could be returned to them if they change their minds. The placement may involve the courts, and the process of regaining custody may prove difficult.
Officials have encouraged parents to seek other resources before resorting to abandonment. They've urged desperate parents to ask for help from family, faith-based groups and other community services before abandoning their children at hospitals.
On the Net:
DHHS' safe-haven page: http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/Children--Family--Services/SafeHaven
In a statement issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Children and Family Services division director Todd Landry says there is every indication the girl is from Nebraska.
She was left at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha.
State officials declined to answer any other questions about the case until Wednesday when more information could be gathered.
The latest case follows the abandonment of another 15-year-old girl on Monday. Landry said that girl, who was left at Creighton University Medical Center, was from Douglas County.
Authorities continue to investigate that case. The girl, meanwhile, has been placed in a residential shelter, Landry said.
Nebraska's safe-haven law is the only one in the country that lets anyone leave a child as old as 18 at a state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution for the abandonment.
The law took effect in July, but all of the abandonments have occurred over the past two months. The youngest child abandoned was only a year old; 12 of the 22 were teenagers.
The children have included a child from Iowa, one from Michigan and one from Georgia. The children from Iowa and Michigan have been returned to their states, but the 12-year-old boy from Smyrna, Ga., was just driven up by his mother and left on Saturday.
Lancaster County officials said Tuesday afternoon the Georgia boy will be turned over to a Cobb County, Ga., child protective worker on Wednesday to return to his home state and a Wednesday afternoon court hearing. The boy will remain in Georgia custody at least until a judge decides who should take care of him.
Most states let parents and guardians drop off children who are up to a month old at hospitals or other safe institutions.
Nebraska's law was intended to protect infants, but it was written to include the word "child," which wasn't defined in the law.
Most of Nebraska's 49 lawmakers have agreed to amend the law, so it applies only to infants up to 3 days old. But they'll likely have to wait until the Legislature reconvenes January to act because Gov. Dave Heineman has resisted calls for a special session.
Nebraska officials have stressed that the safe-haven law should be used for children in immediate danger only.
State officials have said parents and caregivers contemplating using the law need to understand there is no guarantee a child could be returned to them if they change their minds. The placement may involve the courts, and the process of regaining custody may prove difficult.
Officials have encouraged parents to seek other resources before resorting to abandonment. They've urged desperate parents to ask for help from family, faith-based groups and other community services before abandoning their children at hospitals.
On the Net:
DHHS' safe-haven page: http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/Children--Family--Services/SafeHaven
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marla wrote on Oct 29, 2008 4:20 PM: