I work as a San Diego Certified Family Law Specialist attorney in a Family Law office located in La Jolla that only handles legal cases in that area of law know as Family Law. We handle many child custody cases and cases involving one parent's move-away, relocation or move-apart decision involving a child of the relationship. However, it seems too simplistic to say that at the start of our work in the legal service industry, someone made a choice for birth, or life as some would say.
The Money Central at MSN tells us how expensive it is to raise a child to the age of 18 -- $170,000 to $250,000 for most families. These parents must have a job so that they can pay their landlord or bank for their housing; their grocer, their car salesperson, medical doctors, nurses, school educators who work with our children, clothing store owners and many, many others. And as a result of all of this society is functioning is it not? Families are working and people throughout every segment of society are put to work by this simple decision to give life.
This leads to two stories. The first took place here in San Diego California, as reported by journalist Debbie Baker for the San Diego Union involving a mom who showed up at a fire station to turn over her newly born child under the SSB law (Safely Surrendered Baby implemented in the State of California in 2001. Under this law, if you have legal custody of the child, within 72 hours of the baby's birth the parent may turn the child over to a designated safe site and have the right to reclaim the baby for a limited period of time if the parent changes his/her mind. This is so much better for all of the service providers mentioned above, not to mention the baby, to deposit the child at a safe location, as opposed to a garbage bin.
So on October 5 at approximately 1:30 a.m. Firefighter Frank received a caller—a mom who turned over her newly born child to him under the SSB law. Frank, a paramedic, immediately verified that the vital signs were all good, wrapped the 10 pound baby boy up and commenced taking care of him under a law enacted almost 10 years ago. This was the first time a child had been turned over to a fire station in this city. Why?
Sadly, the other story is too prevalent in San Diego County; that of a mom disposing of a baby in a trash bin or some other site, not intended for the safety of a newly born child.
The San Diego divorce attorneys at the Law Office of Thomas M. Huguenor support SSB and all of the moms who make the decision for their baby’s life.
