China's Baby Hatches

[Shake&Bake]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ments-parents-say-goodbye-sons-daughters.html

These heartbreaking photos reveal the anguish of parents as they abandon their children in China's so-called 'baby hatches.'
The images taken at a centre in Guangzhou - one of 25 such hatch facilities in mainland China, spanning 10 provinces and major cities - show the last moments before parents give up their infants often due to poverty or an inability to cope with disease or disability.
Abandoning children is illegal in China, but the 'hatches' were introduced so parents could abandon infants safely rather than leaving them in the streets.

But critics argue it encourages drastic action and believe some parents may feel it is more socially acceptable to abandon their children.

The hatch in opened in January, but staff were forced to shut the door just two months later after becoming overwhelmed with 262 abandoned youngsters - all of which were ill or disabled.

More at the link.

I don't know how I feel about this.
On the one hand its good that the government is assisting its population in this regard.
But is it almost "too easy" to get rid of your kid.

Fsck - I don't know what its like over there.

Lets not get drawn into the whole Chinese Commies suck and what not. aka - lets not get political.

Do you think its a good, innovative and progressive idea put in place to assist parents in poverty?
Or will it lead to an endless drove of parents dropping off their kids and leave too much of a financial burden on the tax coffers?
What would you think of something like that being implemented here in South Africa?

Dang pics in the link are pulling on my heart strings yo!
MAN UP Shake!!!!!

 

[bwana]

Hardly a new concept and certainly not just a Chinese thing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_hatch - there's even [at least] one in SA.

The first modern baby hatch was in South Africa in July 1999 and was installed by Door of Hope Children's Mission(Hole in the Wall) at a small mission church in Berea in Johannesburg.

 

[Shake&Bake]

Seesh - never realised... thanks.

 

[BLIXEMPIE]

There was a baby hatch in Sunnyside, Pretoria at some point. Remember reading bout it some while back in a local paper.

 

[Garson007]

So orphanages? Of am I missing something?

 

[Saltex]

Rather this than people dumping a newborn in a veld or being born into a drug addicted family where they would be neglected anyways, yes maybe this doesn't help prevent people being more careful but atleast it is a sort of solution.

 

[Grant]

So orphanages? Of am I missing something?

what (little )I know of them, is that it is a totally anonymous means for a mother to drop off an unwanted child in a place where the child will get care.

often babies don't even make it to these places but get dumped in the bush or other places where chances of survival are minimal.

 

[Xena1]

what (little )I know of them, is that it is a totally anonymous means for a mother to drop off an unwanted child in a place where the child will get care.

often babies don't even make it to these places but get dumped in the bush or other places where chances of survival are minimal.

Which is why I think something like this is a good idea.