The shocking rise in the number of newborn babies being abandoned in Texas has unnerved communities, raising pressing questions about women’s reproductive health.
At least 18 babies have been abandoned in the Lone Star State this year, the last of which were found just before Christmas at a Whataburger fast-food chain in San Antonio, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Ten years ago, the number of abandoned babies per year was only seven.
It is not clear whether or not there is a common link between the increasingly common tragedies. However, the alarming number of abortion bans occurs in a state with one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country.
In Texas, the law makes no exceptions for victims of rape or incest when it comes to abortion, yet the state still has one of the highest birth rates in the country.
Currently, the southwestern state ranks second to last in women’s health and reproductive care, according to the Commonwealth Fund, which supports independent research into such issues.
In light of the disturbing increase in child abandonment, Leah Kipley, the deputy director of the National Safe Haven Alliance, met with Texas lawmakers to advocate for a safe haven awareness campaign.
“We are all reeling from the tragedies and hoping we can make some meaningful changes to prevent this,” Kipley told the newspaper. WashingtonPost.
The shocking rise in the number of newborn babies being abandoned in Texas has unnerved communities and raised urgent questions about women’s reproductive health. Pictured: One of the few Safe Haven Baby Box drop-off stations in Texas
Twenty-five years ago, Texas was the first state to pass a landmark safe haven law, the Baby Moses Act, which allowed parents to abandon their newborn children at designated “safe” locations such as a hospital, fire station, freestanding emergency center, or emergency medical services
Twenty-five years ago, Texas was the first state to pass a landmark safe haven law, the Baby Moses Act, which allowed parents to abandon their newborn children at designated “safe” locations such as a hospital, fire station, freestanding emergency center, or emergency medical services.
The law is intended to combat child abandonment, making child removals free from prosecution.
However, state lawmakers continue to cut back on women’s health care as more and more women in the state choose to go without health insurance, making Texas the state with the highest percentage of women without health care in the country.
Earlier this year, Governor Greg Abbott added to the ongoing crisis by issuing an order for public hospitals in Texas to track the costs of treating illegal immigrants.
The order was intended to deter women from seeking care for fear of being turned over to authorities, a feat that could have contributed to the increased number of abandonment cases.
“All of these intersectional things could lead to this,” said Blake Rocap, an attorney with the Sissy Farenthold Reproductive Justice Defense Project at the University of Texas at Austin.
The effect of the near-total abortion ban, Rocap argues, is compounded by “abysmal” access to prenatal care, “especially for people without private insurance, especially for people without immigration status.”
Kipley also commented on the governor’s new order, adding, “It just shows the lack of awareness in vulnerable communities, like undocumented people. This is a law we have that protects human life, and it must be shared. If it’s not shared, how will they know help is there?’
But even with a record $32.7 billion budget surplus, state lawmakers have spent no money raising awareness about the issue at hand.
Instead, they have allocated $165 million to programs that provide alternatives to abortion, including crisis pregnancy centers that claim to provide women with unbiased counseling but have been accused of deceptive practices.
Earlier this year, Governor Greg Abbott (pictured) added to the ongoing crisis by issuing an order for public hospitals in Texas to track the costs of treating illegal immigrants. The order was intended to deter women from seeking care for fear of being turned over to authorities, a feat that could have contributed to the increased number of abandonment cases.
In light of the disturbing increase in child abandonment, Leah Kipley, the deputy director of the National Safe Haven Alliance, met with Texas lawmakers to advocate for a safe haven awareness campaign. “We are all reeling from the tragedies and hoping we can make some meaningful changes to prevent this,” Kipley said.
The appropriation included at least $2 million for an adoption promotion initiative.
However, other states recently updated their safe harbor laws to include a hotline and a $75,000 bonus for educational content for this year and next.
In Virginia, $50,000 is allocated each year to raise awareness of safe havens in the form of billboards, a website, training program and various public announcements.
Illinois also requires its public education system to teach about the safe harbor law and offers a free curriculum on the law.
“Women don’t know what to do,” said Texas Municipal Executive Shelley Sekula-Gibbsshe.
“We need to educate, give them more choices, give them the opportunity to provide a loving home for their child.”
However, Texas joined several other states in passing laws allowing communities to install Safe Haven Baby Boxes, climate-controlled padded trays installed within the exterior of the fire station.
The lockers ensure a safe drop-off as they are equipped with a silent alarm, alerting first responders to the drop-off. Although the drawers come at a high cost, totaling almost $20,000 per box.
In Texas, a child who is 60 days old or younger can be surrendered to authorities.
The child can be given up by his or her parents.
Yet, according to the Safe Haven Baby Box website, there are only two boxes in all of Texas.