GEORGIA ON MY MIND MORNING UPDATE

There's a little more information today on Nebraska's latest Big Kid dump.

This morning's Atlanta Journal-Constitution identifies the "desperate mother" as Tysheema Brown, 33, of Smyrna.

No details, though, on how she managed to drive an allegedly uncontrollable kid 1000 miles all by herself. Did she handcuff him? Lock him in the trunk? OD him on Dramamine? Did he arrive in a straight jacket?

According to Lincoln Police Chief Thomas Casady, who has been less than happy with the Nebraska Fiasco, the county attorney’s office will file a petition in juvenile court and a judge will decide whether to keep the boy under state protection or reunite him with his family.

No word if DHHS intends to contact Georgia authorities. It's a sure bet, though, that Georgia officials will get involved as have Iowa and Michigan agencies in those out-of-state cases.

Finally, you'll really enjoy this: a quote from Tim Jaccard, founder of New York's AMT-Children of Hope Foundation and now the president of the National Safe Haven Alliance (I guess Tom Atwood bailed):

When children are older they have the ability to understand what’s going on, and they’re thinking, "Mommy and Daddy don’t want me anymore, so they’re throwing me in a hospital." That’s a psychological blow.

Unlike the squeaky cute clean slates who get thrown in a hospital and are just plain glowy-eyed that they weren't thrown in the dumpster

Does Jaccard really believe that babies and big kids don't share the "psychological blow" of being dumped? That it's only big kids who are traumatized by abandonment?

Baby dump laws and sealed records are part and parcelof the adoption industry: adoption anonymity and the sealed records system. The laws were only legislated when adoptees took back their right to identity and birth records. And it's backfired.

Big kids with names and histories, especially ones with diagnosed behavioral and mental disorders are about as marketable as Chinese baby milk.

Children are not chattel. No child, no matter what age, should be abandoned willy-nilly, especially with the permission and promotion of the state. Families, mothers and children are in "crisis" across this country and the only solution given is to dump the kid and walk away? Is that the bar we want set in the United States?

NEBRASKA FIASCO CONTINUES: 2 MORE DUMPED AT HOSPITAL

Nebraska media reports that two 12-year old boys were dropped off at hospitals in Lincoln and Omaha over the weekend.

Police in Lincoln say a 51-year old woman dumped off her grandson at Brian LGH West Sunday evening, saying she "could no longer take care of him." She regained custody of the boy last month.

Lincoln police chief Tom Casady, appears to be one of the few sane "official" voices in the face of the state-sanctioned and encouraged child abandonment epidemic:

It provides an opportunity to drop the child off without any kind of negative consequence and I think there are plenty of people who will take advantage of that I'm rather surprised that the Legislatures [sic] didn't see this coming because I can assure you that everyone at the police department saw it coming.

Casady believes more kids are on the way.

Another 12-year old boy was left at the lead dump site, Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha, but no details have been released.

Here's the revised dumpee roster:

September 1: Male 14--left by mother at Omaha police station. Currently in foster care.

September 13: Male 11--left by grandmother--another report says mother--at Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha; currently in foster care and partial hospitalization.

September 13: Male 15--left by guardian aunt at Bryant Medical Center West, Lincoln.

September 20: Pregnant female 13 left by mother at Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha. Returned to mother--see below.

September 22: Male 18, turned himself in to hospital in Grand Island; too old for foster care, but can receive services.

September 24: 9 siblings, 1-17 (left by father, Gary Staton, at Creighton University Medical Center ER).

• female, 1
• male, 6
• male, 7
• female, 9
• male, 11
• female 13
• female 14,
• male, 15
• male 17
  
  An 18-year old sister who does not live at home was not abandoned. All these children are now in foster care and several relatives have requested custody Background checks are underway here and here. Go here and here for video of home and neighbors.
  

September 24: Male 11--left at Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha.

September 24, Male 15--left by guardian uncle at Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha; uncle plans to relinquish guardianship.

October 5: Male 12--left by guardian grandmother at Brian LGH West, Lincoln

October 5: Male 12--left at Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha

According to KCAU-TV, Sioux City:

While they cannot be charged for abandoning a child, parents and guardians using Nebraska's "safe haven" law can be charged for other offenses. Courts are also likely to require parents and guardians to participate in parenting classes, family therapy, conflict resolution or other services in an effort to reunite youth with their families. Child support payments may be ordered while children are in state custody.

ha!

The Staton situation has taken twists and turns and I'll be writing on that separately later.

Please be sure to read the blog directly below for NCFA president Tom Atwood's take on the Nebraska Fiasco. While stand-alone, they now link to increasingly bizarre activities in that state.