In thinking about the abandoned babies in Korea, and how the Baby Box operated by the Rev. Lee Jong Nak of the Jusarang Church is constantly attacked by those who are against adoption, and by those who care more about institutionalizing the children than to find permanent homes for them, I visited the Baby Safe Haven website and was very encouraged by what I read, and immediately recognized that this is what Korea needs to adopt. In fact, the Baby Box operated by the Rev. Lee is what is widely practiced in all 50 states in the US as the Baby Safe Haven program. Korea needs to adopt the same program to save more children being abandoned in Korea.
The Baby Safe Haven website is at: http://www.nationalsafehavenalliance.org/law.php
The following is an excerpts from the website.
"Each state has a law in place to allow an unharmed infant to be relinquished to the proper authorities, no questions asked. Since the first safe-haven law was enacted in Texas in 1999, all U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, have passed safe-haven legislation, and every state has reported lives saved through the existence of these laws. Due to less-than-perfect-reporting methods, they don't know the exact number but estimate that in the past decade, these laws have saved well over 1,000 infants.
In the US, the late 1990s had a surge in infant abandonments, many resulting in the death of these innocent babies. In response to these incidents, a movement erupted to allow parents to relinquish custody of unharmed newborn infants without fear of prosecution. At the time, parents risked criminal prosecution for neglect or abandonment.
"Baby Safe Haven" laws or infant abandonment laws were created to remove the potential for prosecution so long as children were given unharmed and given to proper authorities. Since the first law was adopted in Texas in 1999, each state across the US has enacted a Safe Haven law. While each state's law is different, they all ensure the safety of newborn infants and the protection of parents who decide to properly relinquish their child.
Safe Haven laws have been remarkably successful. Unfortunately, babies are still illegally and unsafely abandoned, in part because women do not know that they have another option. It is important that these laws are widely promoted and that women in need are informed that they are not alone."
Today, I sent this website and introduced the concept of the Baby Safe Haven to one of the foremost authority in the child welfare experts in Korea and asked her to learn about this and try to help Korea to adopt such concept.
The Baby Box is just the concept born out of the same concern as the Baby Safe Haven - to save the lives of children being abandoned.
Thanks for sending this along to the Korea. I pray they will take notice and continue to better the policies to protect the babies and birth moms.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve. Thank you for all you do.
ReplyDeleteHow can we be of help in this process?
I regret that the new laws have discouraged some mothers from seeking help directly with adoption agencies. I agree that the safe haven law may save lives and protect babies and birth mothers.
Is there something we can do help support this cause?
Right now there is not much you can do on this. But if you come across some other valuable information regarding Safe Haven ideas, examples, etc, please let me know.
DeleteKorea has never thought about this and it is just now being introduced by my blog and my emails.
But this suggestion will be met by strong opposition by some anti-adoption groups who will campaign vigorously against this as they want to make more birthmothers to raise their own children, even against their will or ability to raise them.
the law should protect primarily those who are not able to do so for themselves. these includes the young and elder population.
ReplyDeleteSteve - Thank you so much for all you do! I hope you will keep us posted on how the Baby Safe Haven website is received by the child welfare experts in Korea.
ReplyDeleteThank you. This will take some time, perhaps years. But it has to start from somewhere.
DeleteNot sure if you've seen this wikipedia article about the use of baby hatches (similar to the baby box in Korea)in other countries but it might be interesting to look over: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_hatch
ReplyDeleteJust wanted you to see this article today posted on Korean Times. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2013/03/162_132164.html
ReplyDeleteI read the article and I understand that a birth mom should have the right to keep her child. She should also get support from the government to do so. However, I don't think it is right for anyone including the anti-adoption groups and the government to prevent birth moms to relinquish their children for adoption. I am the adoptive mother of two beautiful sons from Korea, and my sons' birth mothers were teen moms, singles, and from broken homes. They did not get much support from their families or the birth fathers. In this situation, eve aallall n though they loved their children dearly, they knew that emotionally and financially they could not support their children and found that adoption was the best option for them. What a selfless act to choose life over abortion. It is a difficult job to a be a mother, but to feel alone with a child must bring agonizing thoughts to the birth moms. I just wanted to thank all birth moms for having the selfless love and the courage to give up their children at birth in order to give them the best chance possible in life, maybe elsewhere than Korea, away from prejudice against orphans.
DeleteBased on all that you know in regard to international adoption from S. Korea, would you please estimate how many children will actually receive EP in 2013...as few as 25 or as many as 100? An educated guess, if you will.
ReplyDeleteThank you for everything you have done to facilitate the good news we received this week. There is a tremendous need for the adoptive parents to prepare their hearts for how much longer this journey will last as there has been no movement in such a long time. Blessings to you and your staff.
The silence is not golden, indeed, it is deafening. When are we going to hear of active movement that includes EP's and more families going to court?
ReplyDeleteApril is ten days away. How much longer is the question?????