Sunday, November 23, 2008

Today's 12 year-old was another self "haven", disqualified

Today's 12 year-old attempted to "safe haven" himself.

The state of Nebraska has never counted kids who turn themselves over under the legalized abandonment law.

So once again, another "safe haven" attempt goes down the memory hole.

Marley and I of course, are counting all the "attempted" uses of the law and the interactions kids are having in relation to the law. So he will be included in our unofficial stats.

(Our statistics are based on what they kids themselves are experiencing in relation to the law culled from media reports. They are child-centered, unlike the Nebraska DHHS stats that dismiss many cases which makes it clear to kids, their experiences do not count.)

I call cases like this self "havens" as there is no real "haven" on the other end of such for the kids.

They also end up being counted in our stats as what I've been referring to as "ghost in the machine" cases. The kids are experiencing these things in relation to the dump law, but are never recorded in the official history.

Possible Safe Haven Case after the Law Changes - Update

A 12-year-old boy apparently tried turned himself in as an attempt to use Nebraska's former Safe Haven law.

He arrived at Children's Hospital just after 11 a.m., today. The hospital handled the situation as a safe haven case. Omaha Police were called and the child was moved to Project Harmony.

The Omaha police department says his parents filed a missing juvenile report for the child the same morning. The child is not being considered under the safe haven law.

This is not the first case of a child trying to use the safe haven law. A 16-year-old tried to turn herself in under the old safe haven law in October. County attorneys said her case did not qualify under the law.

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