Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Nebraska Becomes Drop-Off Point for Unwanted Teens

    All states have a safe haven law, aimed at providing a way for desperate new mothers to drop off their infants at a hospital without fear of prosecution for abandonment. But Nebraska's Safe Haven Law actually allows parents to drop off children as old as 17--and they are doing just that.

    • rss
    • Share
    KCRW placeholderBy Judy Muller • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    All states have a safe haven law, aimed at providing a way for desperate new mothers to drop off their infants at a hospital without fear of prosecution for abandonment. But Nebraska's Safe Haven Law actually allows parents to drop off children as old as 17--and they are doing just that. Most of the 19 kids who have been dropped off at hospitals have been teens or pre-teens. In some cases, parents or grandparents are driving to Nebraska from other states, so desperate are they to get rid of extremely troubled kids. We hear more from Senator Arnie Stuthman, who authored the law, and Martha Stoddard, who's reporting on the story for the Omaha World-Herald.

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Supreme Court Finally Becomes an Issue in the Election
    1. 2:01OPEC Schedules Emergency Meeting as Oil Prices Tumble
    2. 7:48The Candidates and the Supremes
    3. 42:27Nebraska Becomes Drop-Off Point for Unwanted TeensYou’re reading this
    • KCRW placeholder

      Judy Muller

      University of Southern California

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

    • KCRW placeholder

      Katie Cooper

      Producer, 'One year Later'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Martha Stoddard

      Statehouse Reporter, Omaha World-Herald

    • KCRW placeholder

      Arnie Stuthman

      State Senator (R-NE)

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Supreme Court Finally Becomes an Issue in the Election
    1. 2:01OPEC Schedules Emergency Meeting as Oil Prices Tumble
    2. 7:48The Candidates and the Supremes
    3. 42:27Nebraska Becomes Drop-Off Point for Unwanted TeensYou’re reading this
    Back to To the Point