If a baby were left on your doorstep in the middle of the night, would you raise him/her as your own?

Question

I know this scenario is not plausible in today's day and age so if it helps, pretend its 100-200 years ago.
What would you do? What would you think?

Answer 1

Actually it did happen exactly like this in my hometown 5 years ago. I was a licensed in home day care provider, when one morning I went out side to retrieve my husbands news paper and low in behold there was a newborn baby left on my doorstep. I thought for a second I want this baby it was a brand new baby boy. Someone thought about me in mind to have placed this beautiful bundle of joy on my porch. Than reality set in and I had to involve the authorities and then the child protective agency was involved and the news media and it was a blissful moment turned nighmare.....Eventually they did locate the person who gave birth to the baby and if i'm not mistaken they were reunited after intense therapy, parenting classes etc. I have always questioned if I was given the chance again would I have done it differently, and I can't say I would, because somewhere would be parents missing their child and I would hate to lose him/her after having bonded with the child. In the few moments I spent with this beautiful baby I loved him....

Answer 2

Well, I don't know. If we're talking about today, I'd probably bring it to the nearest adoption-type center, or even a hospital, and let them deal with it.

If it were 1 or 200 years ago, it would probably depend on whether or not I thought it was worth it. Many families had around six or seven children, many of whom died in childbirth, or later in childhood. So if I were looking for another "helping hand" so to speak, I'd probably take it in. If I were poorer and couldn't afford to feed it, then I'd probably bring it to the nearest orphanage.

Thing about this is that I know you said that this sort of scenario was not likely today...but in all honesty, I'm not entirely sure if it was ever likely. It's probably happened at least once, but I'm willing to bet it's a lot rarer than most people think, even 200 years ago.

Answer 3

If it were 100 or 200 years ago, you betcha I would. No matter if I already had 10 kids as so many did in those days. The orphanages were deplorable then so no way I could let a little baby go to the orphanage. People just weren't looking to adopt then like they do now.

These days there would be nothing you could do short of falsifying records and that can get you into big big trouble.

Answer 4

In keeping with the 100-200 years ago theme...yes I would. Back then things were done a lot differently. You did not have to report to Department of Human Resources or the police department. I would raise it like my own.

Answer 5

In today's economy, it costs $300 hundred thousand to raise a child to age 18. I would bring the infant to a Church as according to the "Give America Foundation", in 2006 congregations received over $90 Billion in donations.

Answer 6

100 years ago, no because the US economy was crap that far back.

200 years ago, even a bigger no because there would have been a lack of food. Industrial period didn't start yet, people still worked their butt off in the countries.

I would bring the baby to someone elses doorstep at night while they're sleeping.

Answer 7

100 or 200 years ago I would prob need help with my farm and day to day tasks of survival that we don't need to do today so in THAT context I would prob like the fact that I would have a future extra hand without having to actually have the stress of giving birth myself...

But TODAY then, I don't THINK so... I am not financially stable enough to raise a child.

It would be nice, again, to have a child without actually needing to HAVE a child and pass along my not-do-great genetics...

Answer 8

If the authorities could not find the parents, or they did and the parents confirmed that they didn't want the baby then I think I would. I would love if someone left a baby on my porch! I keep thinking about having a third child but don't want to be pregnant again.

Answer 9

I believe I would raise the child as my own if i had a stable home because everyone needs love and stability . Also if I were a child and done like that I would hope that the person who step I was left on had enough heart to take me in and care for me.

Answer 10

No way. I like my freedom too much. The child is someone else's responsibility, not mine. Why would I go to all the trouble of raising someone else's child because they couldn't be bothered to do it?

It's bloody expensive too raising a child. And, if it was discovered that the child wasn't mine, I'd probably be accused of being a pervert and having kidnapped the baby, you know how sexist society is when it comes to the treatment of men and children.