Father leaves nine children at Nebraska hospital

[safan80]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/...-leaves-n.html

Father leaves nine children at Nebraska hospital

Parents are abandoning teenagers at Nebraska hospitals, in a case of a well intentioned law inspiring unintended results.

Over the last two weeks, moms or dads have dropped off seven teens at hospitals in the Cornhusker state, indicating they didn’t want to care for them any more.

“They were tired of their parenting role,” according to Todd Landry of Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services, quoted in USA Today.

Under a newly implemented law, Nebraska is the only state in the nation to allow parents to leave children of any age at hospitals and request they be taken care of, USA Today notes. So-called “safe haven laws” in other states were designed to protect babies and infants from parental abandonment.

The most eye-popping case in Nebraska occurred Wednesday, when a 34-year-old father deposited nine children ages 1 to 17 at Creighton University Medical Center -- and then walked away.

The mother died a year and a half ago after a cerebral hemorrhage. The father, Gary Staton, told KETV-TV, a local station, "I was with her for 17 years, and then she was gone. What was I going to do? We raised them together. I didn't think I could do it alone. I fell apart. I couldn't take care of them."

The Omaha World-Herald reported that the man had a “history of unemployment, eviction notices and unpaid bills – and a psychologist’s determination that he lacked common sense.”

The children’s grandmother told the World-Herald other family members planned to take care of the children, but the paper said their destination was still uncertain.

In USA Today, Landry said the children were “struggling to varying degrees with what’s happened to them.”

The World-Herald wrote that “state social service officials cautioned Thursday that leaving children at hospitals doesn’t absolve parents of their responsibilities.”

As if the events already recounted weren’t odd enough, the World-Herald said that in a separate incident, an 18 year old boy had turned himself in under the law Tuesday at a hospital in Grand Island, Nebraska.

The moral of this story appears to be that safe haven laws need to be very carefully and narrowly written to ensure they’re not abused by parents.

Making sure an unwanted baby finds a home where he or she will be healthy and cared for is one thing. Telling difficult teenagers or nine children “you’re not my responsibility any more” is another.

[Sparky]

The Omaha World-Herald reported that the man had a “history of unemployment, eviction notices and unpaid bills – and a psychologist’s determination that he lacked common sense.”

No... really??

Some people

[krogen]

Look at it from a different perspective.

His wife was likely a stay-in-home mother, caring for the children. He was, on the other hand, providing for the family. After doing it for over eighteen years, his wife died. What do you expect him to do? Pretend that his life didn't just fell apart and be a great dad? I don't think it works that way.

I think his situation is legitimate and authorities should not be concerned about responsibility in this case.

[wdrzal]

I read that yesterday,at least the problem was revealed early on and no harm came to the children (why the law was en-acted)and I'm sure social services can help this family with some guidance.

[dengyong]

Look at it from a different perspective.

His wife was likely a stay-in-home mother, caring for the children. He was, on the other hand, providing for the family. After doing it for over eighteen years, his wife died. What do you expect him to do? Pretend that his life didn't just fell apart and be a great dad? I don't think it works that way.

I think his situation is legitimate and authorities should not be concerned about responsibility in this case.

The Omaha World-Herald reported that the man had a “history of unemployment, eviction notices and unpaid bills – and a psychologist’s determination that he lacked common sense.”

Did ya miss this part ^ ?

I would expect him to man up, get off his lazy arse and get a job.

[hollywood]

Did ya miss this part ^ ?

I would expect him to man up, get off his lazy arse and get a job.

Some folks fall on hard luck and simply don't do as well as others. Lets see how well you do after losing your wife of 18 years.

I know personally if my better half suddenly passed, I'd be a total wreck for quite a while.

Just the thought of anything happening to her upsets me.

[dinos22]

i feel bad in a way for the guy and these kids but at the same time can't understand how someone can have so many kids and expect to raise them properly

[dengyong]

Look at it from a different perspective.

His wife was likely a stay-in-home mother, caring for the children. He was, on the other hand, providing for the family. After doing it for over eighteen years, his wife died. What do you expect him to do? Pretend that his life didn't just fell apart and be a great dad? I don't think it works that way.

I think his situation is legitimate and authorities should not be concerned about responsibility in this case.

Some folks fall on hard luck and simply don't do as well as others. Lets see how well you do after losing your wife of 18 years.

I know personally if my better half suddenly passed, I'd be a total wreck for quite a while.

Just the thought of anything happening to her upsets me.

I divorced my sorry @$$ wife when my youngest of three sons was one year old.
I raised the boys on my own until they were all grown, at times (three years) feeding us on less than $7 a week and going without food myself for up to four days in a row so the children would have food.
When I came home from my regular job, I would do any amount of work for any amount of money for people in my neighborhood because anything is better than nothing.

It's a parents responsibility to raise their children, regardless of the hardship.

Life's not always easy, sometimes it takes hard work and perseverance.

I never remarried but I am plenty comfortable now.

[hollywood]

I divorced my sorry @$$ wife when my youngest of three sons was one year old.
I raised the boys on my own until they were all grown, at times (three years) feeding us on less than $7 a week and going without food myself for up to four days in a row so the children would have food.
When I came home from my regular job, I would do any amount of work for any amount of money for people in my neighborhood because anything is better than nothing.

It's a parents responsibility to raise their children, regardless of the hardship.

Life's not always easy, sometimes it takes hard work and perseverance.

I never remarried but I am plenty comfortable now.

Well...some people just aren't cut out to live on the edge of a black hole like you are.

Me? I'm more of a Moon guy myself.

[STEvil]

You space faring folk are nuts, I like earth

[tiro_uspsss]

I'm not surprised parents are dropping their teenagers off - the way some of them behave (& the parents have nooo idea how to control)....

YA HEAR THAT KIDS!?!?? STRAIGHTEN THE F**K UP OR GET PUT OUT!

suck s**t ya lil teen-turds

[Soulburner]

It wasn't intentionally designed that way. An oversight when creating the law allowed this loophole to happen, and they plan to fix it.

[zabomb4163]

9 kids? someone should have found his wife some birth control a LONG time ago especially if her husband had mental problems.

[trance565]

I'm not surprised parents are dropping their teenagers off - the way some of them behave (& the parents have nooo idea how to control)....

YA HEAR THAT KIDS!?!?? STRAIGHTEN THE F**K UP OR GET PUT OUT!

suck s**t ya lil teen-turds

thus the reason most kids behave the way they do, noone wants to teach them or make sure they dont act that way. especially not the parents.

[itznfb]

if i had 9 kids i'd probably find some place to drop them off

[[XC] riptide]

Theres nothing like some tough discipline them kids need. As for the parents? They need solitary confinement for 20 years. Giving up your kids like that.... you don't deserve to live free anymore IMHO.

[[XC] 2long4u]

Did ya miss this part ^ ?

I would expect him to man up, get off his lazy arse and get a job.

Or just sit on his ass and collect welfare like everybody else with 9 kids.

[[XC] 2long4u]

One other thing. How the hell do you LACK common sense?

[MikeB12]

Or just sit on his ass and collect welfare like everybody else with 9 kids.

that's what I was thinking. I've seen so many examples of this in lower income towns... minority mothers with a dozen dirty kids living in a shack, and collecting welfare on a even dozen dependent welfare check and food stamps. that's like the alternative career advancement for low income america, lots of dependents.

[Nosfer@tu]

The World-Herald wrote that “state social service officials cautioned Thursday that leaving children at hospitals doesn’t absolve parents of their responsibilities.”

Well if he leaves them there. Would it be clever to send them back to him ?

THINK NOT

[Sparky]

9 kids? someone should have found his wife some birth control a LONG time ago especially if her husband had mental problems.

Unless they wanted those kids

There is NOTHING wrong with having 9 kids if you can take care of them (not the case this time but generally speaking). Shoot if you want 9 kids, or more, and can take care of them, more power to ya. It is nobody's business on deciding how many kids parents have.

[Soulburner]

9 kids these days is nothing like it was 50 years ago...my mom is 1 of 11, and my dad is 1 of 7. That's 16 aunts/uncles, and who knows how many cousins. And that's back in the days where only the dad worked and the mom tended to the house.

Financially, today that's impossible for most people, even with both parents working.

[krogen]

Did ya miss this part ^ ?

I would expect him to man up, get off his lazy arse and get a job.

So just because he has a history of unemployment means that his lazy? People go through hard times and a job isn't always available.

[Captn]

It's a parents responsibility to raise their children, regardless of the hardship.

Life's not always easy, sometimes it takes hard work and perseverance

I agree 1000%