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Parental Responsibility

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by

Tim
in

The state of Nebraska passed a law recently that allowed desperate parents to abandon their newborn babies at drop-off points in the state’s hospitals, the idea being that the parent wouldn’t face prosecution and the babies would be cared for.

All 50 American states have similar laws; since Texas kicked off the project in 1999, more than 2,000 babies have been “handed in” nationwide. Unfortunately, and uniquely, Nebraska decided that its law would be elastic and would include children up to the age of 18. Times

Oh dear.

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Comments

6 responses to “Parental Responsibility”

  1. tbird avatar
    tbird

    ROFL! Sorry, but the thought of handing in your teenager when you can’t cope with the tantrums is just too close to home to do anything other than laugh at it!

    Reply
  2. Allie avatar
    Allie

    I saw that in the paper. Grim.

    Reply
  3. Tim avatar
    Tim

    I think I am kind of quivering between the two of you. One moment I think it is hilarious, then I just think its just plain awful.

    Reply
  4. Alison avatar
    Alison

    It is awful, but sometimes people do have children who just don’t want to be part of their family.
    I once read a Mimi Smartypants blogpost ranting about people who had asked for their adopted children to be found new families – well, having lived through the last 11 years with my parents fostering a child with RAD, there have been many times when I’ve wished they *would* have asked SS to find him a new place to live. But they stuck through it, somehow, to their detriment, tbh. I know another mother who has a restraining order on her (adult) son – he’s not allowed near her house.
    It’s terrible when things get THAT bad, but I can’t condemn them at all.
    Also, less emotively, I was wondering whether some of them at least have been dropped there as the fulfilment of a threat, or as a ‘short, sharp shock’ kind of attempt by their parents? “If you can’t behave, we’ll get rid of you” perhaps?

    Reply
  5. Merry avatar
    Merry

    I’m entirely uninformed about how the state care system works here but is it actually that far from the same? Presumably there is a system in place here for people just calling the SS and asking for a child to be taken in to care? I know it is a pace further on from that, but i’m not sure it is many paces further on.

    Reply
  6. Swiss Clare avatar
    Swiss Clare

    My first reaction was to sit here slowly shaking my head.
    My second reaction, once I’d thought about it? Not sure I’ve moved on from the head shaking, tbh.

    Reply

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