Are "safe haven" laws protecting the abandonment of children at hospitals and fire stations in society's best interest?

by Rebecca Dyson

Created on: July 19, 2009

In a perfect world, all children would be loved and cared for and all parents would have the emotional and financial ability to do these things. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. I personally find the safe haven laws a refreshing change from our society's tendency to want to prosecute everything. In a crisis situation, taking a baby to a hospital or other safe haven location rather than abandoning them or neglecting them is a far more responsible choice and definitely in the best interest of the child.

Safe haven laws protect children and provide desperate parents with an alternative that will not result in harm being done to the child. If the safe haven laws did not exist, more children would be seriously injured or die as parents would be too afraid to give up the child. As a parent, it is heart breaking for me to think of little ones being abandoned, unloved, neglected. But the alternative to providing safe haven for these children is far worse.

Many people should simply not become parents. Being a parent means being willing to sacrifice everything for the benefit of the child, and there are a lot of people out there who are not willing to make this sacrifice. Rather than taking steps to avoid having children, they have them and then don't know what to do with them. An increase in education is necessary. More high schools should provide parenting classes, to educate children as to what exactly being a parent entails.

Passing judgment on bad parents or prosecuting them for lack of parenting skill and ability will not do our society any good in the long run. It is far better to allow a safe outlet for these parents, which will ultimately provide more protection and safety for these children.

I would like to see more counseling services available for parents who utilize the safe haven laws. Many times the family can be unified if the parents receive adequate assistance and counseling. The ultimate goal should be happy, stable parents raising happy, stable, well-cared for children. Society has a responsibility to help these parents rather than condemn them. And if safe haven provides protection for children in the meantime, it can only be a good thing.

The major risk with safe haven is that one parent may choose to take the baby to a safe haven without the other parent knowing or condoning the action. I would like to see something built in that will allow the safe haven to notify the non-participating parent. This would have to be accomplished in such a way that the child is protected and the parental rights are protected. Enacting this notification process would eliminate the risk of one parent using the baby against the other.

Learn more about this author, Rebecca Dyson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.