From Houston to Lubbock: Inside Texas’s Abandoned Baby Emergency

News like this tends to make you feel sick to your stomach. Texas, for whatever reason, has had a horrible summer when it comes to abandoned babies in the Lone Star State. On multiple occasions, babies have been found abandoned. In most of the cases, these infants are found left in dumpsters. It's heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. Why has this summer seen so many abandoned babies in Texas?

Multiple Cases Of Babies Left In Dumpsters In Texas

It's not happening in just one portion of the Lone Star State. From Houston to Lubbock, there are cases of parents abandoning their infant children. It's impossible to fathom why someone would do something so cruel to a baby, and why it's happening so much.

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Multiple cases made headlines across the state in July. There's the case of a father in Pasadena, Texas who allegedly stated that he just didn't want to take care of his baby daughter anymore. He left her in a dumpster enclosure. In Lubbock, a baby was found in a dumpster and authorities are still looking for information on who the mother is.

In Houston, an 18-year-old mother gave birth in a parking lot, put the baby in a trash bag, and left it in a dumpster. Also in Houston, a 28-year-old woman abandoned her premature baby in June. There was also a food truck employee in Houston who gave birth, abandoned the baby in a dumpster, and went back to work.

Why The Safe Haven Law In Texas Is So Important

In Texas, if you are not capable of caring for your child there are ways for you to give up your child without facing prosecution. The Safe Haven Law exists so that no babies have to face what these have in the last month.

The Safe Haven Law, or Baby Moses Law, makes it possible for someone to give their child to an employee at a designated Safe Haven. Safe Havens include free-standing emergency centers and emergency medical services stations, fire stations, and hospitals. If you leave your unharmed baby with an employee at one of these places, you won't face charges of abandonment or neglect. There are some things to keep in mind, though:

• The baby must 60 days old or younger, unharmed, and safe
• The baby can be left at any hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services station in Texas.
• The baby must be left with an employee who has been informed that you want to leave the baby at a Safe Haven
• Be prepared to give you and your family's medical history before the baby receives medical care

Find out more about the Safe Haven Law by following this link.