The president and C.E.O. of Children’s Square in Council Bluffs wants area parents who are having trouble caring for their children to turn to her agency first, before using Nebraska’s "safe haven" law to leave them at hospitals. Carol Wood says abandonment should be an absolute last resort.
"We are a resource for families in crisis and we have the opportunity to provide some mediation services for families that may have a difficult child," Wood says. Earlier this week, a 14-year-old Council Bluffs girl was abandoned by her grandparents at an Omaha hospital. The girl has since gone home. The grandparents said they were just trying to "teach her a lesson."
Wood says it’s possible they didn’t know about the services that are available. Wood says, "The reality is though, that it is difficult for families to access services, the ability to afford the services and to get the services in a timely manner." She says Children’s Square of Council Bluffs has been providing services to children and families in need for more than 100 years.
Wood says it’s hard to tell where the system let the family in this latest case down. She says, "They may have tried to reach out to organizations here in the community and for whatever reason, either couldn’t get a response or get their needs met." Wood says the agency has experts available to help around-the-clock. Learn more at the Childern’s Square website .