Marley Greiner
PO Box 247
Moody, Texas 76557
614-795-6819
marleyoas@gmail.com
TO: Texas House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee
FROM: Marley Greiner
RE: Please Oppose HB 683 – Expansion of age qualification for Baby Moses abandonments
DATE: March 15, 2021
I am writing to ask you to oppose HB 683 a bill to extend the age qualification for babies to be legally abandoned under the state’s Baby Moses (Safe Haven) law. I was unable to submit this in time for the inclusion of “comments” for the hearing scheduled for March 15. I have more detailed objections but wrote this for the 3000 character limit on the comments page, and would be happy to discuss my objections in more detail with you.
Original SH laws were aimed specifically at women in concealed pregnancies who underwent secret birth outside of healthcare systems. They generally feared parental or partner disapproval/abuse, or social service & immigration practices leading to the loss of other children, imprisonment & deportation. They often had no viable economic, family, or social support.
About 95% of babies killed during the first week of life are concealed pregnancies/births. Only 8% of babies killed later are born outside hospitals. Once a concealed pregnancy is acknowledged the discard danger nearly evaporates.
Extension proponents reject this fact & the original purpose of SH laws. They argue that women need to ease into motherhood.
California legislators attempted unsuccessfully 3 times to raise the time limit citing sleep deprivation,/crying babies/postpartum depression as justifications for anonymous older baby surrenders—a permanent solution for common new parent temporary problems.
Veteran Safe Haven advocates, pro-life groups, country prosecutors, adoptee rights and adoption reform advocates opposed the bills, arguing that proponents were substituting SH intent of saving newborn lives to protecting parents from charges of later child abuse that had nothing to do with concealed birth.
Objections
Expands the Baby Moses parallel child welfare system that rejects informed consent and a full record of identifying information & social and medical histories of children; limits adoptees’ right to identity/ full & original birth/heritage records.
Difficult or impossible to track an anonymous person who has left a physically/sexually abused child at a Baby Moses location.
Abusive, embarrassed, or frightened partners, spouses or family members can drop off an inconvenient infant without consent or knowledge of the (other) parent with no repercussions Denies the other parent the right of custody & the child to be reared in their family and community.
Family members have no way of knowing that the child has been “safely surrendered.” Law enforcement and social services may be called to investigate. The action of one parent can lead to custody/criminal proceedings, Indian Child Welfare Act violations, & adoption disruptions. The other parent is denied their right to due process
Please vote DO NOT PASS on HB 683
Thank you!
Marley Greiner
