Research Paper Blog #1- Annotated Bibliography

Is it ethical to abandon your child under the Safe Haven Law?

Myers, Alicia. “Alternatives to the Safe Haven Law”. 8 October 2008. KOLN/KGIN. http://www.kolnkgin.com/home/headlines/30664609.html

 

Alicia Myers is a reporter for KOLN/KGIN, a major broadcasting station in Nebraska and Northern Kansas. In this article, Myers examines the alternatives to abandoning a child because of the Safe Haven Law. Some of these substitutes are turning to family and neighbors, seeking help from community outreach programs, and even getting counseling and guidance from the state itself. She uses the expertise of Todd Landry, Director of the Division of Children and family Services Department for the State of Nebraska, to help her in this piece as well. Landry, “gives the legislature credit for trying to put a law into effect to try and protect kids from danger or being harmed.” However, he does believe that the alternatives listed above are what is best for everyone involved in most cases and encourages parents to the Safe Haven Laws as a last resort. I think that this article was intended for aggravated parents that need to make decisions about their child’s future and want to do it in a positive way. This article can help me a lot in learning other ways that frustrated parents can help their children instead of abandoning them, as well as how necessary the Safe Haven Laws really are.

 

 

 

Koch, Wendy. “Nebraska ‘Safe Haven’ Law for Kids Has Unintended Results”. 26 September 2008. USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-25-Left-kids_N.htm

 

Wendy Koch, a writer and reporter for USA Today, discusses in this article the outcomes of Nebraska’s new Safe Haven Law. She shares the stories of the 14 children that have been abandoned since the law came into effect. Learning the reasons for some of the abandonments and the outcomes of these tragedies really has showed me the messy side of these laws. Todd Landry, Director of the Division of Children and family Services Department for the State of Nebraska, is quoted in this article as well. He says, “We really opened a can of worms,” and that now, “We have a mess.” I believe that the Safe Haven Law in Nebraska was meant to have a positive outcome, but has taken a turn for the worst. The facts in this article really show some of the negative sides to such laws and reasons that maybe these types of laws should not exist.