An 11-year-old Florida boy was abandoned at a Nebraska hospital Wednesday, just days before lawmakers meet to change the much-criticized "safe haven" law.
The boy is the 31st child abandoned since the law took effect in July. It was intended to protect unwanted newborns from being abandoned but doesn't set any age limit.
Todd Landry, director of children and family services for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the boy's father left him at Boys Town National Research Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
The boy is from Miami-Dade County, but officials didn't immediately say whether the family had a connection to Nebraska. The department has contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families.
The Legislature opens a special session on Friday to fix the law. Most legislators have already agreed to add an age limit of 3 days, which would change Nebraska's law from the most lenient to one of the strictest in the nation.
"Please don't bring your teenager to Nebraska," Gov. Dave Heineman told CNN. "Think of what you are saying. You are saying you no longer support them. You no longer love them."
The revised safe-haven law could take effect as early as next week if senators pass it with an emergency clause and the governor signs it right away.
Since it went into effect July 18, it has been used to drop off 33 children.
There have been six 17-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, six 15-year-olds, three 14-year-olds, three 13-year-olds, three 12-year-olds, five 11-year-olds, one 9-year-old, one 8-year-old, one 7-year-old, one 6-year-old and one 1-year-old. Five were from out of state.
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