Another safe-haven situation

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Are these people acting out of desperation related to the economy do you think? Or are these children at risk due to abusive situations?

It's terrible - the abandonment of children. My God.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
I was reading an article on CHRON about this and one lawmaker said something to the effect of "these are just kids that they can't control and the caregivers see this as an easy way out of it".

Guess I took a little issue with that.

I don't know the history of the kids that have been surrendered, other than 2 have diagnosis'es of behavior type disorders. I know I have had to walk away from difficult child 1 before, and if someone said that about me, that I was taking the easy way out...I might need to walk away from them, too.

Its terrible to abandon a child. Its more terrible that the system sometimes leaves people with no other options.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I know around here that there are limited resources for parents of difficult children. Very limited. Especially for those of low income or uninsured. There are almost no respite services at all. In our area you have to hit one of the major cities to get most services, even the basics. The poorer or uninsured families usually don't have the means to do that.

I was also wondering if the man with 9 kids dropped them off because he can't afford to keep them. I recall my grandmother, and my Mom's 2n husband saying that happened often in the depression. :(
 

muttmeister

Well-Known Member
I've been hearing a lot about these cases on the news here and, although I'm not an expert on each individual case, I do live in Nebraska and I know that if you are outside the Lincoln/Omaha metro area (which most of us are), any help for kids with behavioral disabilities or problems is largely nonexistant. When I was dealing with my difficult children, the nearest psychiatrist was 2 1/2 hours away. The nearest psychologist was 1 1/2 hours away. Community programs? In a town of 200? Or even 2000? You must be kidding.
I think the law has had consequences that were unintended but the fact that so many people have taken advantage of the law points up to me, NOT
the caregivers see this as an easy way out of it".
but the fact that this may be the only option some people see. As long as we can't get assistance for our kids any other way, this may be all that is left. For a lawmaker to suggest that such a decision is an easy way out is ludicrous. But when I was going to bed at night, afraid that difficult child 1 might murder me in my bed during the night, I definitely would have at least considered this option if it had been available then.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I wonder about the reasons the parents have for this. Are they overwhelmed and desparate to get help for their child? Can they not afford the cost of basic care and feeding? Are they single parents feeling completely alone who have no support anywhere? Are they dropping off the kids because the step parent wants a clean start and the parent fears some kind of abuse? It would be interesting to know the facts behind the actions.

If Miss KT needed inpatient care, I would have to take her to either the Bay Area or Los Angeles, 300-400 miles away. We don't have anything like that for teens in Central CA. I wonder if most of these parents are just hoping their children will finally get some help this way. It's just sad all the way around, though.
 
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