Right now in Illinois our legislators are trying to put through a bill to make it legal to abandon an infant in our state.  This bill is known as HB 632.  You can find the full text and status on this bill at the Illinois General Assembly online.

Here is a synopsis of this bill for your perusal.  Below the synopsis are the reasons that I have put together showing why we do not agree with this legislation.  If you agree with these reasons and are a citizen of Illinois, you will find a link at the bottom of the page that will take you to a petition online where you can sign against HB 632.  All signatures will be turned into the Illinois Senate.

Thank you all~~  Linda
SYNOPSIS OF HB 632:
Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Creates the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Provides procedures to be followed when a parent relinquishes a newborn infant to a hospital or other facility. Provides for the relinquishing parent's immunity from liability for abuse, neglect, or abandonment of the child based solely on the relinquishment of the child. Requires that the relinquishment of a child be reported to the Department of Children and Family Services State Central Registry. Provides for the transfer of a relinquished newborn infant to the custody of a child-placing agency or to DCFS. Requires DCFS to implement a media campaign to inform the public of the provisions of the Act. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code to provide that a child relinquished in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act is eligible for TANF. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act and the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 to provide that a child shall not be considered abused or neglected for the sole reason that the child has been relinquished in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Amends the Adoption Act to provide that a person shall not be considered an unfit person for the sole reason that the person has relinquished a child in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Effective immediately.

To view the synopsis in full with all amedments made so far, please click here.

Statements AGAINST HB 632:

1. By not requiring so much as a name to be given at the time of abandonment at a "safe haven", these children are cut off completely from vital medical information that may well be the difference between life and death in the future.

2. Again, by not requiring so much as a name to be given at the time of abandonment, no means of support is left in place for the, usually, teenage mothers.  Essentially, we are not only telling our young girls that it is o.k. to abandon your child, we are also telling them that they are on their own to deal with the huge consequences of this action.

3. As long as the child "appears" healthy, the child may be legally abandoned under this bill.  The problem here is that children very often "appear" healthy when, in truth, they have serious medical conditions.  This leaves us as taxpayers to pick up the bill for these children's medical expenses, and, if the health problem is serious enough to label the child "un-adoptable", we the taxpayers will continue to pay to raise this child until his/her 18^th year in our foster care system.

4. Last, but not least, is the fact that this legislation has been passed in many other states.  In most states that have this new law, it has NEVER been taken advantage of so these babies were not saved but still thrown away.  Texas has had this law in effect for approximately 2 years with 16 babies abandoned but only 2 of those babies were left at "safe havens".


     FOR MORE ABOUT BABY DUMPING, VISIT LINDA HAMMERS BABY DUMP PAGE AT THE-SEEKER.

     If you would like to have your views on baby dumping posted to my website, email me at lilybugmom@yahoo.com.  I will create a page for viewpoints to be listed.  Please include you name and let me know if you would like you email address included with your view.
TO SIGN MY PETITION AGAINST THIS BILL, PLEASE CLICK HERE.