Neb. safe haven task force meets
Posted: Wednesday, December 03, 2008
LINCOLN (AP) -- Members of a group promising to fix problems revealed by the drop-off of teenagers under Nebraska's safe haven law said Tuesday they're hopeful they can hand the Legislature proposed solutions next month.
Sen. Arnie Stuthman of Platte Center said members of the Task Force for Children in Crisis seem to recognize that the biggest problem is that people don't know what programs exist.
"A lot of providers have a lot of services," Stuthman said after the task force met for the first time Tuesday. "But if they had so many programs that work, why did we have all the kids dropped off?"
"That should be some homework for the next meeting," Stuthman said.
Earlier this year, Stuthman introduced the safe haven bill that was designed to protect newborns from being dumped in trash bins or worse. The Legislature amended the bill so that it didn't have an age limit on children who could be dropped off at hospitals.
The consequences stunned state lawmakers and people around the country.
Thirty-six children from as far away as California and Florida were abandoned at Nebraska hospitals. None were infants, and most were preteens and teenagers as old as 17.
So state senators met in a special session last month to change the law, limiting it to children 30 days old or younger.
But child welfare experts, lawmakers and others said the rash of drop-offs showed that desperate parents either don't know where to turn for help, there is not enough help available, or both.
Unlike Stuthman, Jim Blue, president of Cedars Youth Services, said the lack of availability of services is as problematic as the lack of information.
"We have families not aware of the resources in the community ... but there is a definite problem of availability as well," Blue said after the seven hour meeting, which was closed to the public and reporters.
Blue said the group came up with a broad list of potential solutions to the problems with services for youth. The group will narrow the list of recommendations over the next two meetings.
Blue is one of dozens of health care professionals, hospital administrators, legal experts, juvenile court officials and others working with the task force of state senators.
Sen. Arnie Stuthman of Platte Center said members of the Task Force for Children in Crisis seem to recognize that the biggest problem is that people don't know what programs exist.
"A lot of providers have a lot of services," Stuthman said after the task force met for the first time Tuesday. "But if they had so many programs that work, why did we have all the kids dropped off?"
"That should be some homework for the next meeting," Stuthman said.
Earlier this year, Stuthman introduced the safe haven bill that was designed to protect newborns from being dumped in trash bins or worse. The Legislature amended the bill so that it didn't have an age limit on children who could be dropped off at hospitals.
The consequences stunned state lawmakers and people around the country.
Thirty-six children from as far away as California and Florida were abandoned at Nebraska hospitals. None were infants, and most were preteens and teenagers as old as 17.
So state senators met in a special session last month to change the law, limiting it to children 30 days old or younger.
But child welfare experts, lawmakers and others said the rash of drop-offs showed that desperate parents either don't know where to turn for help, there is not enough help available, or both.
Unlike Stuthman, Jim Blue, president of Cedars Youth Services, said the lack of availability of services is as problematic as the lack of information.
"We have families not aware of the resources in the community ... but there is a definite problem of availability as well," Blue said after the seven hour meeting, which was closed to the public and reporters.
Blue said the group came up with a broad list of potential solutions to the problems with services for youth. The group will narrow the list of recommendations over the next two meetings.
Blue is one of dozens of health care professionals, hospital administrators, legal experts, juvenile court officials and others working with the task force of state senators.
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