There are a number of newborn or very young babies abandoned every year. Too often, they are left somewhere that they cannot survive for a long enough time to be found. In 1999, the Texas legislature passed a “Baby Moses Law”. This law set up a procedure by which a parent could abandon a baby safely and without further responsibility or criminal liability. Many states have since passed similar laws.
The nickname “Baby Moses” comes from the biblical account of how the mother of Moses abandoned him in a place where he would be rescued and nursed to health. She put him in a basket and put it in the water where the daughter of the ruler of the land found him and took care of him, insuring the child’s future.
The law stipulates that a parent can leave a child at a designated facility that is safe, willing, and able to care for the child. In Texas, hospitals, fire stations, and, in some cities, ambulance services are authorized to accept these infants. Any of these places will have doctors, nurses, or paramedics on site to assess the child’s health and perform any tasks that are deemed medically necessary.
This law is saving lives. Just ten days ago, a woman knocked on the door of a fire station in Arlington, Texas. When the door was opened by a fireman, she handed him a newborn baby and said that she found him in a trash dumpster. The woman left and the fireman did not ask any questions. The baby was examined and found to be healthy. The fireman diapered and dressed the little boy and took him to a hospital.
In contrast, a woman who also lived in the Dallas area recently gave birth to a son and killed him before she put him in a dumpster. Clearly, she did not want the child and desired to be rid of him. Why didn’t she just drive him to the nearest hospital or fire station and gently hand him to someone who would be willing to take care of him. The woman would have been absolved of all responsibility in regard to the child. Instead, she has been charged with murder.
It is hoped that more and more desperate people will seek the safety, security, and sanctity that this law offers both for them and their child.
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