The controversial safe-haven law is all set for a change by the lawmakers in Nebraska who are meeting on an emergency basis for this purpose this week. This law will set an age limit when a child can be left with the local authorities.
This follows a concern expressed by State legislators who feel that if the law remained unchanged, this will result in older children being left with social services system by parents who are unable to provide them with good care.
Scraping the current law was voted for on Wednesday and 41 as against 6 voted for the change. They said the no age limitation has to be changed to a strict 30 day age limit.
The final passage of the change will be approved by the legislature before it goes to the Governor of Nebraska Dave Heineman for signature on Friday. The safe haven law stipulates that children can be handed over by parents anonymously to hospitals without facing any prosecution.
Since the month of September when this law was passed, hospitals received 35 children. According to officials, all are older children and there were no infants. In fact, except six of them all are older than ten says the Department of Health and Human Services, Nebraska.
According to the governor’s communication director, Jen Rae Hein, the harm caused to these children due to the abandonment is of great concern now. Nebraska is in fact the last state to pass this law. Laws passed in every other state come with an age limit.
Contributor: Mumta Kulkarni http://www.legalnewsnow.com
