Parents' options for care of infants - FOX5 Vegas - KVVU
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In light of Wednesday's finding of an infant in a North Las Vegas trash bin, southern Nevada can be reminded of the options available to parents if they feel they cannot take care of their child.
Adoption is one of them.
"I'd say at any give time there are hundreds of families in Las Vegas looking to be parents, hoping to be parents," said Brad Singletary of Catholic Charities.
The nonprofit group has been providing adoption services in southern Nevada since 1941.
There is no age limit for parents to decide to place a child into adoption.
"We've placed children who are 2 years old, 8 months old, even 14 years old," said Singletary.
Before moving forward with an adoption, the charity will first offer biological parents any aid to help keep their child.
"If they're in a crisis, first of all, we're going to asses if there's some immediate need, if there's some assistance we can provide," said Singletary.
One of the nuances of adoption not well known is allowing parents options of keeping in contact with their child.
"The biological mother and father can be as involved as they'd like to be," Singletary adds.
If no contact is wanted, the process can be done very quickly.
"It wouldn't be ideal to happen all in one day, all in one afternoon," Singletary said. "But it could happen if that was the need and the desire of the birth parent."
Nevada's Safe Haven laws are very clear.
Within 30 days of birth, a child can be taken to any emergency service building, ambulances will even pick up a child on location, and parents will not face legal repercussions.
Parents cannot drop off a child, he/she must be handed over to emergency personnel. The only information that will be asked for is the child's and family's medical history.
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