Abandon your child here

[pam]

Yes I really do. Let me clarify something if I may. Parents who abandon their kids without notifying someone..by just leaving them in a house while they take off should be found and prosecuted. Those parents who for whatever reason can't handle the responsibilities of parenthood, yes I think there should be that open option.

[SisterofJared]

Well, think about it. Is it best to

a) Take your baby to a fire station and drop it off, allowing it to be adopted into a loving home
or
b) Keep the child at home, sticking it in a closet, yelling and swearing at it, burning it with cigarette butts, leaving it hungry in a filthy diaper all day while you party and feed your drug habit?

I know you will think there is a 3rd option... somehow forcing the parent to keep the child and become decent parents. But the reality is that you can't legislate the hearts of man. You can't FORCE someone to be a loving nurturing person. And to try and do so is to deliberately endanger children.

SoJ

[pam]

despite the poor, scared teenager who gives birth in her closet... I don't think that happens very often though

I hate to burst your bubble but this happens far far far too many times.

[Wingnut]

These girls aren't being treated for their prenatal care, much less their postpartum care. In all the debate on this site about abortion, I am surprised to see disdain for a Safe Haven Law that provides women (YOUNG women, girls even) a safe alternative to abortion.

[SisterofJared]

When babies are found in trash cans, etc... it turns out they are almost ALWAYS from a very young teenager who doesn't know what to do.

And the rest are from drug addicted parents.

Seldom does someone with postpartum depression abandon their children. That is a distinct minority of what you hear in the news.

I like the crisis nursery countrygirl talked about. A very good idea, especially for those with depression.

SoJ

[ZionWoman]

Your opinion and I respect that. I guess I can see the need but I really wish that we weren't at a place where this was needed. I'm not even sure what Canada's policy is on this. I know that with universal health care and patient confidentiality and teen pregnancy and crisis centers, we almost never hear of abandonment issues.

There was an incident last year where a drunk father left his house late at night in the middles of a deep freeze (and I mean deep, -50 to -60 C, that's -58 to -78 F for y'all) and his half naked infant daughters followed him out and froze to death. Could we have helped them? I don't think you can catch everything.

This isn't helping my blue mood so I'm out fro awhile. I think I'll look at some funny cats...

[TeancumsSword]

Originally Posted by Wingnut

These girls aren't being treated for their prenatal care, much less their postpartum care. In all the debate on this site about abortion, I am surprised to see disdain for a Safe Haven Law that provides women (YOUNG women, girls even) a safe alternative to abortion.

Disdain? Most of the posts have been supportive of it.

[ZionWoman]

I think she's reffering to me but I'm not sure

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by ZionWoman

YThere was an incident last year where a drunk father left his house late at night in the middles of a deep freeze (and I mean deep, -50 to -60 C, that's -58 to -78 F for y'all) and his half naked infant daughters followed him out and froze to death. Could we have helped them? I don't think you can catch everything.

I guess I don't see what this has to do with a Safe Haven Law, other than that if this father had had the opportunity to leave his daughters at a hospital when they were newborns, this might not have happened. Also, if this father was such a terrible person, as the anecdote would indicate, why weren't these girls with their mother? Wouldn't that have been a better alternative?

And just to be petty, if they followed him, they weren't infants anymore.

[pam]

Originally Posted by ZionWoman

Your opinion and I respect that. I guess I can see the need but I really wish that we weren't at a place where this was needed. I'm not even sure what Canada's policy is on this. I know that with universal health care and patient confidentiality and teen pregnancy and crisis centers, we almost never hear of abandonment issues.

There was an incident last year where a drunk father left his house late at night in the middles of a deep freeze (and I mean deep, -50 to -60 C, that's -58 to -78 F for y'all) and his half naked infant daughters followed him out and froze to death. Could we have helped them? I don't think you can catch everything.

This isn't helping my blue mood so I'm out fro awhile. I think I'll look at some funny cats...

Not knowing the entire story on this father....it could be he was a very loving father but in the moment of being drunk did something extremely stupid. Quite different scenario if that were the case. Though before anyone says anything...no he shouldn't have been drunk with young children in his care.