Here are some links I came across for anyone seeking more information on child abandonment statistics and the Safe Haven laws. 1) Fact Sheet - Boarder Babies, Abandoned Infants, and Discarded Infants
(July 2002) <
http://aia.berkeley.edu/pubs/BoarderDefs.htm>
2) Expediting Permanency for Abandoned Infants: Guidelines for State
Policies and Procedures (2002) <
http://aia.berkeley.edu/projects/perm.htm>
3) The Child Welfare of America has some good information, including an FAQ
and a brief monograph on the issue. Online: <
http://www.cwla.org/programs/baby/>
4) The US DHHS published a summary of statistics, "1998 National Estimates
of the Number of Boarder Babies, Abandoned Infants and Discarded Infants."
The report is available through the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse
and Neglect Information: <
http://www.calib.com/nccanch/catalog/pop.cfm>.
However, the basic information from this report is presented in "Boarder
Babies, Abandoned Infants, and Discarded Infants (July 2002)."
A few other suggestions:
1) A large collection of information, internet links to "Safe Haven"
organizations, and internet links to numerous news articles can be found
through the International Association of Voluntary Adoption Agencies &
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) -
<
http://www.iavaan.org/Safe_Haven.htm>
2) A list of all of the states that have passed "Safe Haven" laws can be
found on the National Conference of State Legislatures web site. They
have, perhaps, the best and most recent information. Online:
<
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/AILaws.htm>
3) An interesting article regarding this issue is available at
- The Drive to Enact 'Infant Abandonment' Laws--A Rush to Judgment?
By Cynthia Dailard <
http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/journals/gr030401.html>
4) An objection to "Safe Haven" laws can be found from the American
Adoption Congress: <
http://www.americanadoptioncongress....-abandoned.htm>.
There are no national statistics on the success or
failure of "safe haven" laws. Perhaps such information is being tracked
locally. You could try contacting the Child Protective Services office or
Health and Human Services organizations is states with such laws.
Hopefully this will give all of us a clearer idea of what we're dealing with here. Sincerely, Sharon