omg

[TrevorForever]

Whats this world coming to???????

Homepage > Omaha News


Mom Puts Toddler Up On Craiglist

State Department To Take Away Child

POSTED: 5:22 pm CDT June 13, 2009
UPDATED: 7:41 pm CDT June 13, 2009


LA VISTA, Neb. -- Sarpy County authorities take action after a woman put an advertisement for her toddler on Craigslist on Friday.In that ad, the woman -- who said she's a methamphetamine addict – talked about her son saying he deserves a mom that is "not addicted to meth."The woman asked whether anyone can help her son before she does "something crazy."

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said the 18-month-old toddler was taken into foster care Friday.Polikov said the mother was not taken into custody and has not been charged.KETV NewsWatch 7's attempts to contact her were not successful.

Copyright 2009 by KETV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[MindieRose]

Call me crazy, but as long as this woman wasn't trying to sell her child, and she just wanted to find someone to love him because she knew she wasn't a good mom, well I hope that they just get her help and not put her in jail. How many crack or meth addicts just leave their child anywhere or desert them in places? Even though this was a really really poor way to try to find a home for a child, she may have actually been sincere in her attempt. I don't know what the laws are for that state, but in some states you are only allowed to safely leave your child at a hospital or law enforcement place up to a certain age without facing repercussions.
If she was trying to sell her kid.....lock her up. Get her help...and lock her up.

[erickajm]

Wow... how sad but on the same time you gotta give her some credit ~... she is reaching out and admitting she has a problem and needing help, however, just in the wrong forum... again, wow.

[cj125]

Originally Posted by MindieRose

Call me crazy, but as long as this woman wasn't trying to sell her child, and she just wanted to find someone to love him because she knew she wasn't a good mom, well I hope that they just get her help and not put her in jail. How many crack or meth addicts just leave their child anywhere or desert them in places? Even though this was a really really poor way to try to find a home for a child, she may have actually been sincere in her attempt. I don't know what the laws are for that state, but in some states you are only allowed to safely leave your child at a hospital or law enforcement place up to a certain age without facing repercussions.
If she was trying to sell her kid.....lock her up. Get her help...and lock her up.

I agree with you. I'm happy she did it. At least her toddler might have a chance for a decent life now.

I think NE was one of the first states that allow a mother to drop off her child at any hospital, police station or fire department without any questions or arrests. Infact, I think they just had a big ordeal about how many kids were being dropped off there - teens and all.

Very sad...

[MindieRose]

Originally Posted by cj125

I agree with you. I'm happy she did it. At least her toddler might have a chance for a decent life now.

I think NE was one of the first states that allow a mother to drop off her child at any hospital, police station or fire department without any questions or arrests. Infact, I think they just had a big ordeal about how many kids were being dropped off there - teens and all.

Very sad...

I seen that on the news not that long ago. These parents of teens were so desperate because their teens were so out of control, and many had pretty severe mental issues. What a horrible position to be in.

[TrevorForever]

Nebraska was one of the last states to have a place where mothers could take Infants, so they hurried up and wrote a law, and did not include the word infant, so people were taking their teenagers in and dropping them off because they needed mental health care, and a man here in Omaha took 7 children because his wife had died and he felt he couldn't care for them, even though her family begged him for them. The reason I posted this is because I was appalled that someone would post a toddler on Craigs list. I cannot believe that was the only option....

[MindieRose]

Originally Posted by TrevorForever

Nebraska was one of the last states to have a place where mothers could take Infants, so they hurried up and wrote a law, and did not include the word infant, so people were taking their teenagers in and dropping them off because they needed mental health care, and a man here in Omaha took 7 children because his wife had died and he felt he couldn't care for them, even though her family begged him for them. The reason I posted this is because I was appalled that someone would post a toddler on Craigs list. I cannot believe that was the only option....

I am sure it was not the only option Meth addicts are not known for their well thought, logical life choices though.
A parent from my childrens school has 3 adopted children. The mother was a crack addict, and basically just asked someone if they wanted her 2 kids one day because she knew how bad she was and did not want them in the system. That woman then went to her church and talked to these parents who were desperate to adopt. Long story short, they ended up adopting this woman's kids, then the crack addict mom had another baby a year later, and contacted them to come get that one too. It is not the smartest thing to do to walk up to a stranger, or post on craigslist, for someone to take your children. These people are desperate and are a rare breed that actually still consider their childrens' well being through their addiction. Of course ultimately the best thing for the kids would be if mom would get better, but since the mom knows that isn't happening, they think in their mind they are doing the next best thing.

[MissSophie]

I know that no one can speak for this woman, but I have some thoughts on this. I work for an agency with its headquarters in Omaha. We have two large, visible buildings, and we have been there for 115 years. We have billboards, a 24 hour hotline, and we have a webpage. We can provide temporary care for a child of any age. We will work with a parent without them losing their rights, and we can help them find services within the community. We also can help them plan an adoption if they decide it is in the best interest of their child. So, why would someone choose craigslist? This is the question we have been dealing with for years. Why will someone choose an unsafe plan for their child when we can provide a safe plan where the parent is in complete control? What I am looking for is an answer from the general public which may help us see where we can better serve this population.

[MindieRose]

Originally Posted by MissSophie

I know that no one can speak for this woman, but I have some thoughts on this. I work for an agency with its headquarters in Omaha. We have two large, visible buildings, and we have been there for 115 years. We have billboards, a 24 hour hotline, and we have a webpage. We can provide temporary care for a child of any age. We will work with a parent without them losing their rights, and we can help them find services within the community. We also can help them plan an adoption if they decide it is in the best interest of their child. So, why would someone choose craigslist? This is the question we have been dealing with for years. Why will someone choose an unsafe plan for their child when we can provide a safe plan where the parent is in complete control? What I am looking for is an answer from the general public which may help us see where we can better serve this population.

That is a wonderful agency that you work for I have never heard of anything like that at all in my area.
Do you have an outreach staff that goes on the streets or into homeless shelters to pass out information or to talk to women? I know that with the economy being down right now, a lot of places are losing funding for a lot of their important programs that outreach the community. Does someone put ads on sites like Craigslist in the "personals" areas on there that prostitutes fluent?
Drug addicts are usually rather paranoid, and my have a hard time trusting an agency with their children, even though it is so much smarter and safer than just leaving their kids in a crack house.

[MissSophie]

Originally Posted by MindieRose

That is a wonderful agency that you work for I have never heard of anything like that at all in my area.
Do you have an outreach staff that goes on the streets or into homeless shelters to pass out information or to talk to women? I know that with the economy being down right now, a lot of places are losing funding for a lot of their important programs that outreach the community. Does someone put ads on sites like Craigslist in the "personals" areas on there that prostitutes fluent?
Drug addicts are usually rather paranoid, and my have a hard time trusting an agency with their children, even though it is so much smarter and safer than just leaving their kids in a crack house.

In our community, we have even held classes at the homeless shelter for infant care. Our information is everywhere. That is why I ask the question. Why would someone choose craigslist rather than an agency that can really help?

[happy bunny]

I'm just thankful that she didn't just toss the baby off a bridge, or out in the woods, or stuff them in a suitecase somewhere, or trade it for more drugs. No, she didn't go about it correctly and might have thought she would be forced to keep the child when she knew that she could not provide for it. Whatever her thought process, at least we are not reading a headline of the death or torture of a child.

[MindieRose]

Originally Posted by happy bunny

I'm just thankful that she didn't just toss the baby off a bridge, or out in the woods, or stuff them in a suitecase somewhere, or trade it for more drugs. No, she didn't go about it correctly and might have thought she would be forced to keep the child when she knew that she could not provide for it. Whatever her thought process, at least we are not reading a headline of the death or torture of a child.

[Jacqulyn]

I agree with most of what has been said. Drug addicts especially those on an upper are paranoid and definitely not clearly thinking. The fact that she reached out is amazing to me. And though most of us are appalled that she would do it on craigs list, you have to take her circumstances into play. She did what she thought was best, and it was probably the only way that she could bring herself to do it. Hiding behind her computer, she wasn't actually facing someone and telling them. This is a good ending. I hate to see children placed outside the family, but it is better than that child being killed, traded for drugs, or just left somewhere.

[happy bunny]

[QUOTE=Jacqulyn;2670549]Hiding behind her computer, she wasn't actually facing someone and telling them.[QUOTE]

Good point. Maybe that could have been why. I don't think any one of us moms would want to have to walk in somewhere and admit we are drug addicts and have an agency take the baby because they couldn't do it anymore. Shame can be a demon to deal with.

[TrevorForever]

Originally Posted by happy bunny

I'm just thankful that she didn't just toss the baby off a bridge, or out in the woods, or stuff them in a suitecase somewhere, or trade it for more drugs. No, she didn't go about it correctly and might have thought she would be forced to keep the child when she knew that she could not provide for it. Whatever her thought process, at least we are not reading a headline of the death or torture of a child.

No, we are not reading about the death of a child because no lunatic took her up on her add on Craigs list....there are a lot of agencies here in Nebraska and in Omaha in particular....some maniac could have gone to her home and taken the child, the God knows what could have happened.....