Seattle Press on Line - Local Senator Seeks To Protect Abandoned Babies

Local Senator Seeks To Protect Abandoned Babies

Oct 04, 2000 -- A newborn abandoned in Puyallup on September 20 is the most recent victim of an act many state legislators think could be avoided if frightened mothers were offered a safe place to leave their babies.

"Often these moms are teens who have hidden their pregnancy and are terrified of being caught. They need a safe place where they can leave their children without the fear of going to jail," said State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, who represents the Ballard, Queen Anne, Magnolia and Belltown areas.

When an abandoned baby boy was discovered near a sidewalk in her district in March, Kohl-Welles began working with a group of other female legislators from key metropolitan areas--Democratic Senators Pat Thibaudeau, Jeri Costa, Harriet Spanel, Julia Patterson and Tracey Eide and Rep. Debbie Regala--to craft legislation that would allow mothers to anonymously give up their newborns at hospitals or other designated safe havens in the state.

At least 27 other states either have adopted or are considering "safe abandonment" legislation this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Texas, after 13 babies were abandoned within 10 months, the state adopted the first such law last year. The law encourages mothers to leave newborns with emergency medical technicians at a fire station or hospital. Nationwide, the number of newborns abandoned in public places jumped to 105 this year from 65 in 1988, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly one-third of those babies died.

"While baby abandonment is not an epidemic yet, we can't afford to wait for it to get worse," said Thibaudeau, a Seattle Democrat who chairs Washington’s Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee. "These laws certainly aren't a cure-all, but if it can prevent one more child from dying, it's worth a try."

Concerns over the many legal and ethical questions that have been raised are being closely considered in drafting the bill, Kohl-Welles said.

"We have to ask ourselves how much immunity should the parent get? And how long should the state be required to wait before the child is available for adoption? These are sensitive questions not to be taken lightly."

Other issues under consideration include immunity for the father or other parent, as well as professionals or organizations who are acting as part of a good faith effort to save the child. There are also concerns that any law that allows a mother to "walk away" has the potential to increase the number of hard-to-adopt children, as a medical history of the baby would not be available.

"All of these concerns are being discussed now as we prepare for introducing the bill," Kohl-Welles said. "By encouraging young mothers to leave their babies at a safe place where appropriate medical care is immediately available, we are not encouraging abandonment. We are simply offering a solution to a terrible problem--and hopefully saving lives in the process."

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Theresa	Nov 04, 2003	Tacoma	student and mother
I am in a Masters program. I am doing research on WA efforts to provide a safe place for potential abandoned babies. Specifically, I would like to know the constitutional and legal issues that will need to be addressed (either pro or con) in order to pass such legislation. I will be working on this issue for this entire academic year. I am just beginning this research and so any information or links would be appreciated. Thank you