Gary Hart: “how can we forget the story of the teenager in New Jersey who delivered a baby in a restroom, abandoned the child in a…”

“how can we forget the story of the teenager in New Jersey who delivered a baby in a restroom, abandoned the child in a trash can and returned to her high school prom? Or perhaps you recall the new story of an infant discovered in a back yard and the infant was mauled by a hungry dog. In fact, in my district alone, three abandoned infants have been found this year, including one this last week. Fortunately, he was found alive and is recovering. The Safe and Stable Families amendments include money to help inform young women that there are safe havens available. There are opportunities for them to avoid this tragedy, the death of an infant. It is impossible to know the exact number of infants who are abandoned each year, but media accounts remind us that this is a growing problem nationwide. Between 1991 and 1998, for example, the number of abandoned babies discovered nationwide almost doubled. These young women are often scared and they hide their pregnancies out of this fear, and then they abandon their children, hoping someone will find them; or just abandon them out of fear, not thinking clearly. But in response to this problem many States, in fact 30, beginning with the State of Texas, enacted Safe Haven laws. These laws provide for an alternative for these young women, that they can leave their children somewhere safe, whether it is a hospital or police station, without being prosecuted for abandonment.”