Another Child Dumped at Nebraska Hospital

  • 15 years ago
Another Child Dumped at Nebraska Hospital A second teenager from outside Nebraska has been left at an Omaha hospital under the state's unique safe-haven law, apparently after his parent flew to the city specifically to abandon him, state officials told the Associated Press. The 13-year-old Michigan boy was left at Creighton University Medical Center early Monday morning. Since July 18, when the new law went into effect, 18 children between the ages of one and 17 have been abandoned. Nebraska's safe-haven law allows children as old as 18 to be left at state-licensed hospitals without fear of prosecution. This is the second time a child from outside the state has been left at a hospital in Nebraska. Officials do not know why the boy was abandoned. He was placed in an emergency shelter. Last week, a 14-year-old girl from Iowa was left at an Omaha hospital by her grandparents. She has since been returned to her family. Some are concerned that Nebraska's broadly written law could make the state a dumping ground for unwanted children. Officials with the state's Department of Health and Human Services have stressed that the safe-haven law should be used for children in immediate danger only. Officials have encouraged parents to seek other resources before resorting to abandonment. For more information on jobs in your area, click here.