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Nebraska reforms 'safe haven' law
AFP - Saturday, November 22
WASHINGTON (AFP) - - Nebraska has reformed a law that had allowed 35 children and teenagers to be abandoned in hospitals, the office of a state senator told AFP.
The new legislation put the age limit for the so-called "safe haven" law at 30 days for a newborn baby, according to the office of Senator Arnie Stuthman, the sponsor of the bill.
The change came in a special session called by Governor Dave Heineman in a 43-5 vote. Heineman was to sign the new version of the law later Friday.
The prior law approved in July was meant to apply to infants but -- because no age limit was specified -- resulted in enabling parents to abandon children including teens as old as 17 at area hospitals.
The new bill states: "No person should be prosecuted for any crime based solely upon the act of leaving a child 30-days-old or younger in the custody of an employee on duty at an hospital licensed by the state of Nebraska," an aide to Stuthman said.
As soon as the "Safe Haven" law passed, hospitals began receiving children left by their parents. To date, the state has taken in 34 children and adolescents. Five of them came from other states, including Florida, Georgia and Michigan.
The youths were placed with families and in foster homes.
In the event the age limit bill is passed, a judge will decide on their fate.
"Several of the children who have come into the care of the state came there because the parents have had difficulties in parenting them due to behavior issues. Many of them are just typical teenagers" and do not have specific medical needs," said Todd Landry, director for children and family services in Nebraska.
On September 14 alone, 11 children aged between one and 17 were abandoned at a Nebraska hospital, including nine siblings left by their father, a social services spokesman told AFP.
Linda Jensen, a nurse in the emergency department of the Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha told the USA Today daily that "some children know why they're here. Some don't."
Another staff nurse in the hospital said she heard an abandoned child cry out: "I'll be good, I'll be good! I'll be good if I can go home!"
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File photo shows Dave Heineman, Governor of the US state of Nebraska. Nebraska has reformed a law that had allowed 35 children and teenagers to be abandoned in hospitals, the office of a state senator has told AFP.
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