Two more children have been abandoned at Nebraska hospitals under the state's safe haven law, the 25th and 26th children left under the law since it went into effect this summer.
The Associated Press | Posted: Sunday, November 2, 2008 6:00 pm
OMAHA — Two more children have been abandoned at Nebraska hospitals under the state’s safe haven law.
In Sarpy County, a child was left at Midlands Hospital in Papillion Sunday afternoon. Hospital spokeswoman Kelly Grinnell gave no other details.
Another child was left at Children’s Hospitals in Omaha Sunday night. Hospital spokeswoman Cheri Lytle says the teenager was dropped off around 11:15 p.m.
If the state confirms both, they would be the 25th and 26th children left under the law since it went into effect this summer.
The Department of Health and Human Services is expected to released more information on Monday.
Gov. Dave Heineman has called a special session to deal with the safe haven law. It is intended to protect unwanted newborns, but it doesn’t set an age limit.
Currently, Nebraska’s law is the only one in the country that lets parents or caregivers leave children as old as 18 at a state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution for the abandonment. None of the first 24 cases involved a newborn, and three of the children were brought to Nebraska from other states.
Most states have age limits ranging from three days to about a month.
Gov. Dave Heineman last week called a rare special session of the Legislature to fix the law, which was intended to protect unwanted newborns. The special session begins Nov. 14.
During the special session, Speaker Mike Flood of Norfolk will introduce a bill to change the age limit to three days old, but senators could adjust the age.