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Baby Abandonment: About this Area of Focus
Baby Abandonment: The Role of Child Welfare Systems
  Monograph Introduction
Monograph Book
An infant found in a hospital bathroom, a newborn baby left on a family's
front porch, a baby boy discovered on the grounds of an elementary
school....These are examples of baby abandonment, a complex phenomenon
that has attracted increased attention in the United States over the past several
years. Although baby abandonment has always existed in some form, public
attention was galvanized when 13 babies were abandoned in the Houston
metropolitan area over the course of a one-year period ending in late 1999.
The national public outcry sparked an unprecedented legislative response: 35
states passed legislation responding to baby abandonment between September
1999 and March 2002.
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), responding to concerns
typified by the situation in Texas, created a forum for assessing the incidence
of baby abandonment nationwide, gathering information on its causes and
issuing recommendations for policy and practice. CWLA hosted a symposium,
analyzed state laws, and collected and disseminated information on baby
abandonment.
This monograph will inform the decisionmaking of community leaders,
child welfare agencies, and legislators. It poses a set of questions that every
advocate should ask in responding to baby abandonment, describes baby abandonment,
examines the existing data, discusses the challenges to moving forward,
and makes recommendations for responding to those challenges. Baby
abandonment is a complex issue, incorporating medical, psychological, economic,
and legal components. It requires comprehensive responses that are
proactive and preventive as well as reactive. Furthermore, it is vital not to lose
sight of the broader context within which baby abandonment exists. The problem
will never truly be solved unless the issues of sexuality education, unintended
pregnancy, and resource allocation and availability in social service
agencies are also addressed.
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