The Congress finds that—
(1) studies indicate that a number of factors contribute to the inability of some parents to provide adequate care for their infants and young children and a lack of suitable shelter homes for such infants and young children have led to the abandonment of such infants and young children in hospitals for extended periods;
(2) an unacceptable number of these infants and young children will be medically cleared for discharge, yet remain in hospitals as boarder babies;
(3) hospital-based child care for these infants and young children is extremely costly and deprives them of an adequate nurturing environment;
(4) appropriate training is needed for personnel working with infants and young children with life-threatening conditions and other special needs, including those with HIV/AIDS, and those who have been exposed to dangerous drugs;
(5) infants and young children who are abandoned in hospitals are particularly difficult to place in foster homes, and are being abandoned in hospitals in increasing numbers by mothers dying of HIV/AIDS, by parents abusing drugs, or by parents incapable of providing adequate care;
(6) there is a need for comprehensive support services for such infants and young children and their families and services to prevent the abandonment of such infants and young children, including foster care services, case management services, family support services, respite and crisis intervention services, counseling services, and group residential home services;
(7) there is a need to support the families of such infants and young children through the provision of services that will prevent the abandonment of the infants and children; and
(8) private, Federal, State, and local resources should be coordinated to establish and maintain services described in paragraph (7) and to ensure the optimal use of all such resources.
(Pub. L. 100–505, §2, Oct. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 2533; Pub. L. 102–236, §2, Dec. 12, 1991, 105 Stat. 1812; Pub. L. 108–36, title III, §301, June 25, 2003, 117 Stat. 822; Pub. L. 111–320, title IV, §401(a), Dec. 20, 2010, 124 Stat. 3513.)
Sections: Previous 5116b 5116d 5116e 5116f 5116g 5116h 5116i 5117aa 5117aa-11 5117aa-12 5117aa-21 5117aa-22 5119 5119a 5119b Next
Last modified: October 26, 2015