A few hours ago, I heard a news story on the television which reminded me that I wanted to write about it. Then, I got all distracted by trying to find a link to the local story. I failed and then my attention was diverted by:
A) Fixing lunch.
B) Moving laundry from washer to dryer, dryer to basket, and then folding that load from this morning.
C) Looking in vain for my daughter’s new Gameboy game which comes in one delightful size (“Easy to Lose”).
D) Pulling out Hide-A-Bed and scooting a pound of trash, crumbs and unpopped popcorn kernels from under the couch.
E) All of the above.
So, anyway. You’ll have to take my word for it when I tell you that in this region, a baby was found abandoned yesterday morning on the steps of a church. The baby was said to be less than twenty-four hours old and a desperate search is on for the mother who abandoned this baby.
People appeared on camera to declare how wrong it was for this mother to abandon her baby on the steps of a church (sometime after 9:30 a.m. where the infant was found quite quickly when mass ended). The news reporters emphasized that police searched door to door, looking for someone who might have seen something. Where could the mother be?
I say, “Who cares where the mother is?” The baby has been abandoned. I know exactly what the Department of Health and Human Services will do next. They will try to reunite the mother and the baby. They always do. Even when a mother has repeatedly abused her children or abused drugs or neglected her children, the biological rights always come before what is best for the child.
In this case, what is best for the child is to be placed in an adoptive home. I am quite certain that the abandoned infant could be living with a new, permanent, adoptive family before nightfall, if only the insane governmental agencies didn’t give so many chances to biological parents.
If I were Queen of the World, parents would lose their parental rights forever in these cases:
1) Abandonment of baby immediately following birth.
2) Abuse or neglect of children or living with an unrelated person (“boyfriend”, etc.) who hurts the children.
3) Drug use, despite one chance at rehabilitation.
Parents should not have unlimited chances to ruin their children’s lives. And when a baby is abandoned, we should take that as a sign that the mother intended to relinquish her rights. Do not search for her. In this case, she left the baby where he would be found quickly. Good for her. I wish her well.
And I hope that baby is adopted immediately so he can begin to bond with his forever family.
Actual Unretouched Photo 
it would appear that the mother agrees with you! he was left in a safe place where he would be found in a matter of minutes by the catholic church. in my feeble little mind that says, ‘i can’t take care of him, i’m giving him up, please give him to somebody who can.’ human services has gone around the bend, they need to quit giving terminal parents all these chances, get the children adopted out to good and loving homes, and put the energy they are wasting on trying to fix the unfixable in to things like, um i dunno… deadbeat dads? just a thought.
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I totally agree with you. The mother obviously wanted the baby to be found. The fact that she placed he/she on the church steps, just before Mass ended, says she was making sure the child would be found quickly. If she wanted help, she would have gone to an agency herself. She’s trying to say that she can’t take care of the baby, or doesn’t want to take care of the baby – why doesn’t this Agency give the child to one of the thousands of couples waiting with empty arms! But oh no…they’ll make this poor woman, whose already admitting she can’t handle mother hood – take it on, if they find her. Something is wrong with this picture!
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This is exactly why so many states now have “safe haven” laws. I wish they were better publicized but the steps of a church is far better than a dumpster.
Happy Birthday. I tried to leave you a comment on the other blog but it wouldn’t recognize my email address (even though it’s the same one they use to send alerts to me).
I have asked them why.
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I saw it on the news here tonite in Portland, Mel. It happened in Mt. Vernon, WA. We recently had a baby abandoned here in Portland on the steps of a care center, too. The newborn was wrapped in a wet sheet, if my memory serves me right, and left out in sub-freezing weather. In fact, they weren’t sure when they first found it if it was even alive, but it was, thank the good Lord. I can’t say I understand why women do this on occasion, but at least they have the sense not to KILL the baby!!
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I wonder if it’s a case of CYA by the state (CYA = cover your a__). Are they afraid that one day this woman will come forward and accuse the state of ‘taking’ her baby by putting it in a loving home prematurely?? Would she have rights? I don’t know, I’m not a lawyer, but I’m sure there have been cases where a mother has abandoned her baby, and then changed her mind later (even years later) and sued whatever agencies were responsible. It truly is sad, because as you said, the best interests of the baby are not put first.
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Thank you for having the guts to say something so unPC.
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Here here Mel.
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The rights of the biological parents outweighing the rights and needs of the child are also the reason why there are custody battles. If the courts- or imagine! the parents- were truly concerned about the children, then that would be the concern, not what the dueling parties think is “fair”. But, hey, what do I know?
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I just pray that they don’t find the mother and that the baby is adopted out. How sad to think they would want to reunite a baby with a mother that didn’t want it to begin with. Even so, as you said, she left it where it was sure to be found quickly…so I pray for that sweet baby.
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Mel for Queen of the World!!!
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Amen and AMEN
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AMEN!
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HEAR HEAR!!!
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I just read on one of the local news websites that the mother was found. She is 17 and scared. http://www.koin.com/Global/story.asp?S=6010414 I feel for her. I had my babies at 21, I wasn’t much older than her.
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It’s funny you see the law as looking for the baby to reunite it with its mother. My impression is that it’s quite hard for parents of abandoned babies to regain custody of the baby. Probably the police were looking for the mother because they were concerned that she was suicidal, sick, or otherwise a danger to herself or others. I’m in the minority of your readers, but I think that people make mistakes or become unhealty through mental illness and that they deserve second chances. This mother was scared and while I can’t imagine abandoning my baby, perhaps leaving hers in a place where it would be quickly discovered was not an irresponsible choice.
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I thought the same thing. Not only that, but if scared teenagers believe they’ll be hunted down for leaving a baby for someone else to take care of, they might turn to more drastic and tragic options.
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I agree with you completely. Hubby and I would love to adopt, but are terrified of domestic adoptions in case the parents ever tried to get *our* child back. It literally breaks my heart at how these situations are handled… and I agree with the above commenter that if mothers that *have* to abandon aren’t able to do so in secret anymore, then they might resort to worse things. Get that baby into someone’s arms that will love him and care for him.
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Here! Here! I totally agree! Maybe you should run for public office, surely you have time for that! 😉
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