Newborn found in Wheaton yard

Doesn't Illinois have a program where unwanted newborns can be dropped off at a fire house? Seems they need to get the word out.

Very sad for the child

Yeah tough break for the kid, though you never know it may work out for him.

But I don't think Illinois has a drop-off-your-unwanted-children program. Maybe you have that confused with drop off your unwanted car batteries or old oil.

Boy that would have been something if that child was found by me or by my door. How easy would it be for me to keep the child if a situation like that occurred? I mean - eventually the child would need a SS# and Birth certificate. But technically, could the child stay with me or could I be first to have the child?

floored me last night on the news that the person who found the baby was a classmate at GW. What a nightmare find. Hopefully able to recover from that....good guy.

Lupe, My kids said the same thing to me, that I would keep it and not want to give it up.

The guy who found the baby was shaken to the core. I felt bad for him.

Regarding the law, could the mother have called a police officer or flagged one down to hand off the baby?

I'd keep the little bugger. It's not like one more would make any difference en la casa de bitter.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bitterboy,

I believe you can leave the baby, within the first five days, at any attended fire or police department, or hospital, with no questions asked, and that's been the law in IL for a number of years. It's sad, and frustrating, that some of those most in need of this information apparently just don't know about it. God bless the man who found the baby, and his dog, and my prayers for the baby to continue getting better, and to find a good home.

Ya know, maybe it was-I donno- an emergency birth, like -right then and there and the mother, which I believe they may know who it is, is seriously ill, ie, not well, sick, blood loss, whatever. Maybe she went into a labor very quickly and alone and didn't seek help and was ill afterward...? just speculating. It could happen. She may be hospitalized as well.

the last thing I saw was that it was an Burmese immigrant - I'm wondering if there were some family issues that made the woman feel she couldn't keep the baby, and perhaps she's not familiar with available resources. I think I saw Birkett (sp?) was charging her; I hope they have some real info to support criminal charges (I'm not a huge fan of his in certain areas - I think his office sometimes has knee-jerk reactions in certain areas, and lack of action in certain other cases). Who knows at this point - maybe the woman had observed the family in that home, and was hoping they would find the baby. On the other hand, if she just dumped the baby, there should be consequences to that action.

ETA - just saw that the woman lived very close to this home, and gave birth in her apartment without medical care, so I'm thinking the woman may have not had many, if any, resources available to her - I hope she's not being charged without good cause. I honestly don't trust Joe Birkett that much.