JournalStar.com

Teen from Michigan left at Nebraska 'safe haven'

By JoANNE YOUNG / Lincoln Journal Star
Monday, Oct 13, 2008 - 05:00:19 pm CDT
A 13-year-old boy driven 724 miles to Creighton University Medical Center from the Detroit area by his mother became the 10th youth whose family took advantage of the Nebraska safe haven law.

He is the second child dropped off from outside Nebraska.

Todd Landry, director of the Division of Children and Family Services for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the boy, who was dropped off at 1:30 a.m. Monday, was at the hospital a couple of hours before being transferred to emergency residential shelter.

He was not in danger of immediate harm, Landry said. And he had no obvious medical issues. 

Landry said the department is working with Michigan officials and the Douglas County Attorney's office to resolve the situation  quickly. 

“While we empathize with many of the families struggling with parenting issues, this is not the proper way to deal with them,” Landry said.

The boy was the 18th child left at a hospital under the law since Sept. 13.  LB157 went into effect on July 18. It was intended to be a life-saving alternative to abandoning a young baby.