What do you think should happen to a baby born in a hospital that test positive for drugs?

Lillie

What about the father? Grandparents? Why are we always so willing to ship babies off to strangers when there could very well be perfectly fine and fit FAMILY who can take in and care for the child?

Yes I think the mother should be given a chance to go through rehab and clean herself up. If she doesn't follow through, then FIRST try to find a suitable placement within the family...FIRST with the baby's father (why is he always overlooked?) and then with grandparents, aunts, uncles, down the line until any possibility is exhausted.

ONLY then should adoption become an option. It should be a LAST resort instead of that poor child losing his or her (not IT'S) entire family through no fault of his/her own.

Gaia Raain

In our state, if a child is taken away at birth due to drug use during pregnancy, the mother is given 6 months to clean up her act and prove that she is able to take care of her child. After that time, if she hasn't been able to get it together, the state seeks TPR (I can't remember what that means...sorry, I'm sick and my head is full of goo, instead of helpful thoughts...I could even be wrong about the letters TPR...lol). Anyway, once the legalities are done, the birth mother loses her parental rights, and the child is adopted out anyway. Even if she doesn't think she can get clean, at least she's got that chance, and she has the opportunity to visit her child, and (at least in our state), she is given LOTS of resources (including inpatient drug treatment) to do what she needs to do to be able to parent.

ETA: Thank you Robin...TPR = termination of parental rights

cagney

i think they should require mandatory drug rehab for the mother. make it a crime and make it a court order. give the mother support to actually follow through and not just stick her in some program. offer couseling along with the rehab. make sure she has had every opprotunity to realize what a precious gift she's been given and clear her life up to be able to parent that child. no i don't believe that a baby should be automatically placed for adoption on a positive drug test. but the mother should be given options and should have to over time repay the county for the fees incurred for her child.

and the court should actually follow through and make sure mom is staying clean and offer support instead of court dates.

that said if the mother can't follow through, or is absolutely unwilling to clean things up, then when that fails yes the child should be entitled to a stable drug free home life.

sinful457_2000

if the child is placed into cps the mom as a chance to clean up her act and get her kid back. Is she signs the baby over
adoption she would never get them back

cruzgirlz3

This happens frequently. Mothers want another chance, and another, and another. It is a reflection of the devastating consequences of drug addiction. While it is nice to give second chances, people tend to forget that the mother had 40 weeks to clean up her act and instead chose to use to the harm of her unborn baby. This is child abuse. These babies suffer from the moment they enter the world and addressing their needs should take precedent over the mother's needs to clean up her act.

Sadly, some addiction like Meth. addiction, is EXTREMELY hard to overcome. While I do have sympathy for those who struggle with this, I have more sympathy for the children who WAIT in foster care while their mothers repeatedly tell themselves that this binge will be the last. I say, give the mother one chance in rehab. That's it.

ETA-lillie, you are right that immediate family should be considered first. In my experience this was always the prefered course of action if it was available. But in reality, in cases of addiction, the dad is often using also if he is even around and extended family is often uninterested. Many times the extended family has dealt with the destructive effects of their loved one's addiction that they have detached themselves entirely. If they are still involved, they often are the one's encouraging adoption because they have lived with the failures of the addict and are most skeptical about the person's parenting abilities.

judithnealy

i think this mother should have her child taken away. if she can not do what is best for her child and get clean.

flower child

If the mother is really going to try and get herself straightend out to get her baby back then I think she is doing the right thing but unfortunately this probably isn't going to happen. She sees this child as her property not as a child that deserves to have every advantage to a good stable life. She is thinking of herself and how difficult its going to be for her to give the baby up. When she should be thinking of what is best for the baby. I think children should be raised by their mothers and fathers but sometimes this isn't what is best for the children and its a shame that some are placed in and out of CPS all of their childhood when the parents should have did the selfless act of putting the child up for adoption when born especially when they knew from the moment the child was born they were uncapable of carring for it.

opedial

IN our province parents have two years to try and get better before children are placed for adoption. As long as the parents are following a plan, they have a chance at keeping their children.

You woudl be shocked at some cases I have seen where the parents turn around at the last minute.

Addition: Um, no we will not mandatory sterilize anyone. Education, supports is what is needed, not forced sterilization, I can't even believe I read that.

Bizzi

Okay if someone is going to lose their rights (the child) why is the child going to pay for it.. should the parents not be forced threw rehab for the good of themselves and their child. I mean if anyone is gonna lose their rights should it not be a drug addict vs the child.. Maybe by helping the mom you have just helped both.. Maybe if making child abuse an actual crime.. where their is jail time and not just taking the child and letting the parents off Scott free... to have more kids and do it all over gain..

CPS will give her a case plan which will invlove drug treatment and random drug testing for a year. she is hoping that she can pass that and get her child back. If she does not pass then the baby goes up for a adoption in a year. She loves her child and is trying very hard to keep it. She is sick and needs help there is nothing morally wrong with that

danielle c

If she is smart she will do what is best for her child, and get clean. That is not giving up your child, well it really is, but you are doing good for the child, by not making he/she leave in a broken home.

Alisa A

Gaii -- TPR -- Termination of Parental Rights -- you had the acronym correct.

i'm with some of the other posters -- she had 9 months to provide the ultimte care for her child and instead chose to do drugs; i can't believe that now that the child is out of her body, crying, requiring actual care, that she is going to clean up. I honestly believe that they should be allowed no more than 6 months to clean up and test clean EVERY month including randoms. If they can't do it by then, the child should be given a chance at a real life. Also, the parent(s) should have to go through random drug testing for two years (minimum) following. AND, if they test positive, they should be kicked off all forms of welfare. I hate paying welfare to drug addicts.

littleJaina

I don't think it should be an option. I think if the baby tests positive for drugs the mother should be arrested as soon as she's cleared from the hospital. She should then be charged with "injury to a child" and let it go to court. Just because the child is in your womb doesn't mean it's ok to abuse it.

I think if she gives birth to a second child that has drugs in system she should be madatorily sterilized!

TotalRecipeHound

There is a fair percentage of women who do indeed get off drugs, but they don't get the help they need until after the baby arrives. Everything costs money, as you know.

While in principle, I agree with you that a baby who tests positive should immediately go to relatives or be adopted, since there is hope for some of those young women and their babies, it would hardly seem reasonable to apply the same dictum to all. I've never been addicted to drugs, but knowing how hard it was to quit smoking permanently, I can surmise that it could be that much harder.

noodlesmycat

As always, Little Jainie has the best, most logical and experienced answer. I agree with her 100%. The woman had 9 months to think about what she was doing and all she cared about was getting her next fix. That's incredibly selfish and cruel. Why should someone like that deserve to have a child, much less keep her/him? She shouldn't be allowed the choice of giving the baby to CPS or an adoption agency. It would also be unconscionable for CPS and the agency not to tell prospective adoptive parents that the woman who gave birth to this child used drugs.

amberh2011

I think if a child is born addicted to drugs the baby should be taken and all rights of the mother should be taken and never returned the mother could not possibly have cared about the child if she could continue to do drugs and never seek help. It truly sickens me i saw today for the first time how a baby acts when they are born addicted to drugs and it broke my heart. The child would be better off in the care of someone who will love it and that is capable of taken care of the conditions the mother has inflicted on the child.

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