Institute Debunks Donaldson Report on Safe Haven Laws
Counter Report: A Discovery Institute Rebuke of New York City Adoption Institute Report on Safe Havens Four missing elements in Safe Haven laws? Recommendation # 1. It is important to conduct "additional research on the causes of infant abandonment to better tailor an effective policy response."
Fact # 1. Supporters of Safe Haven laws have always supported the idea of sound, scientifically-based research on the causes of infant abandonment, while recognizing the practical difficulty in mounting such research given the anonymous nature of most abandonments.
Recommendation # 2. There should be education of "students, teachers, parents, doctors, counselors and clergy about how to identify concealed pregnancies, and how to help affected teenagers and women."
Fact # 2. In New York City, where Donaldson's office is located, there is an organization that has been doing public education on a very meager budget. That organization is
AMT Children of Hope Foundation, headed by Tim Jaccard. The Donaldson report did not even mention the existence of Jaccard's Foundation or his educational activities.
Recommendation # 3. There should be provision of "confidential counseling to at-risk pregnant teens and women about prenatal care and safe alternatives for their babies, such as care by other biological family members or adoption, when they cannot or do not want to parent."
Fact # 3. Again, Donaldson failed to include in its report the data released by Tim Jaccard about his success in counseling, with 17 of 27 persons who ultimately made decisions about babies in 2002 using conventional adoption procedures.
Recommendation # 4. "…[E]ducational materials and support services [should be] available that would help mothers, fathers, and other biological relatives raise infants when they wish to do so."
Fact # 4. Such materials are readily available now through hundreds of social service and human service agencies. Again, in New York City, Tim Jaccard distributes such materials as part of his Foundation's work but Donaldson declined to report on any aspect of the Foundation's activities in the same city.
Page 1: Background Page 2: Unintended Consequences? Page 3: Missing Elements? Page 4: Minimal Provisions? Related Resources •
Donaldson Study Shows 'Safe Havens' Cause, Don't Solve Problems •
Marley Greiner: A Few Bastardly Thoughts •
Safe Haven Laws & Programs in the U.S. Elsewhere on the Web •
Bastard Nation •
Discovery Institute •
Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
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