Parents Leave 2 More Teens in Nebraska; 30 Kids Abandoned Under New Law
The latest tally on a law of unintended consequences in Nebraska is 30 children, a number of them teens and from out-of-state, who have been abandoned by their parents under a new state statute.
Intended to protect infants from harm, the law allows parents to drop off unwanted children at a hospital without facing any criminal consequence for doing so. However, it sets no age limit, unlike comparable statutes in other states. That may not last much longer, though: “The legislature opens a special session on Friday to change the law,” reports the Associated Press.
A 17-year-old boy was the 30th to be left, when he was dropped off by his mother today at an Omaha hospital. However, an 18-year-old young woman who is bipolar and was left by her mother at a Lincoln hospital yesterday wasn’t included in the tally, apparently because she is considered an adult in need of care rather than a child for the purpose of the safe-haven law. The mother of the 18-year-old said she couldn’t control her adoptive child, who won’t listen, the news agency writes.
Additional coverage:
Associated Press: “Girl is 29th child left under Neb. safe-haven law”
ABAJournal.com: “Dad Who Abandoned 9 Kids Under New Neb. Law Explains Why”
