I want to talk with you about abandoned babies. An abandoned baby – newborns who are discarded, abandoned by their mothers, children who will never be hugged, fed, or loved. These infants are discarded in trash receptacles, landfills and other public places by mothers who are usually not more than kids themselves.
Abandoned Babies – A real problem!
There is disturbing news.
A recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) study drew these startling conclusions:
- In the US, you are 10 times more likely to die by homicide on the day you are born than at any other time during your life.
- Among infants murdered on their day of birth, 89% were not born in a hospital.
- 89% of the perpetrators were women, usually the mother.
- After the 1st week of life, a 2nd homicide risk period grows to occur during the 8th week. (This may reflect the daily duration of crying among normal infants, and a lack of parenting skills.)
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) reported that from 1991 through 1998 the number of babies abandoned in public places, not hospitals, grew by 62%.
October 2001 testimony before the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and the Workforce concluded that infant abandonment might actually be 10 times the number reported – or higher.
We only hear about the infants found!
South Carolina’s infant mortality rate is nearly 140% of the national average according to the CDC’s January 2002 national vital statistic report.
I formed One-By-One to serve as a child advocacy group which protects, saves and helps children by focusing on specific needs and issues underfunded, under-promoted, and/or largely ignored by the community.
We have these values and beliefs:
- Children are our future.
- Children need to grow and develop in a safe, nurturing environment.
- Adults and communities have a responsibility to act in a deliberate manner to ensure that environment for our children.
- Adults and communities have a responsibility to use their limited resources in an effective, efficient manner to accomplish this.
- We need to anticipate the consequences of our programs.
Click here: WHO WE ARE
Infant Safe Haven Legislation
There is national and state legislation that can mitigate this problem.
Known as infant safe haven laws, they provide a legal alternative for desperate mothers to abandon their unwanted newborns at hospitals (a safe haven), or other designated locations, rather than in trash receptacles or landfills.
This legislation is designed to safe lives.
In South Carolina, that legislation, passed in June 2000, is more commonly known as ‘Daniel’s Law.’ In this state an infant can be brought to a hospital, a “safe haven,” within 30 days of birth, left in the care of hospital staff, no questions are asked, and the mother is free from criminal prosecution.
Lacking in Public Awareness
The problem with this well intended legislation is the lack of public awareness about the law and how it works. Not unlike other states, South Carolina’s legislature failed to provide funds for such a campaign.
We wish to see that there is a successful campaign in place to promote this law – regardless of the state’s funding ability.
What we are doing
We will conduct a ‘Daniel’s Law’ public awareness campaign in South Carolina which will include the following major activities:
- Creation of material suitable for TV, radio, outdoor advertising, posters and brochures.
- Production of the material.
- Procurement of media time spots and space.
Click here: WE NEED YOUR HELP
We only ask that you be generous in supporting our efforts.
Advertising campaigns are not inexpensive. Creative efforts, production, planning and media buys do cost large amounts of money. We will do our job at holding down costs and getting the ‘biggest bang for the buck.’
Keep this in mind when you consider how much to give:
- A 30-second TV spot in non-prime time can still cost a lot of money. [It has been suggested to us that a ‘good’ TV campaign can cost as much as $5000 per month per metro area.]
- A billboard can cost as much as $1500 per month in South Carolina.
We offer no gifts or premiums for your donation. We want to spend every dollar we receive on saving an infant’s life.
We will extend a warm thank you for any thing you contribute. We will commit to keeping you informed on a semi-annual basis of our efforts to promote infant safe haven laws.
Thank you,
Founder, One-By-One, Inc.
