If you find an abandon baby...?

Question

Do you have to report it to the police or can you keep it ? And is it illegal if you do? And if you want it and no one claims it can you keep the baby anyway and raise it? I'm just asking because I was trying to think of an idea for an offbeat sittuation to write in an essay we have to do over winter break. and I want to make it realistic

Answer 1

You are talking about a baby, not a puppy or lost wallet!
If you kept the baby without reporting it, you could be charged and jailed.
Child services would search for the baby's parents. If they were found, they may put the baby up for adoption and she would go into foster care during the 'cooling off' period. They may decide they want to keep the baby and child services would then have to determine whether or not they're capable of caring for a child, before returning the child to them.
If the parents could not be found, the baby would enter foster care for three months, giving the parents a chance to appear. If they didn't turn up, the baby would be adopted and it would be too late for the biological parents to claim the baby.
You would not be able to keep the baby! As the baby would only be with you for an hour or less while you took her to the police, the baby would not form any real attachment and there would be no reason (in the best interests of the baby) for her to stay with you. She would go into foster care with rigorously trained and checked carers and (if adopted) would go with rigorously checked and trained adoptive parents.

Answer 2

Ok, assuming this is hypothetical...

I'd definitely report the abandoned baby to the police. It's the right thing to do. Yes it can be heart-breaking to let the police or other appropriate autorities take the baby away, but it's illegal if you just keep the baby and remain quiet as if nothing happened, besides one's own situation may not be suitable for suddenly raising a kid.

Anyway if you find the baby, notify the police and nobody claims the baby after a time, I don't think they will just hand the baby back to you, unfortunately, even if you're in an appropriate economic situation and willing to keep that baby, it's not that easy... you have to go through a legal process of adoption, and several months and even years may pass before the government agency in charge of that, decides if you're an adecquate person to keep the baby with you and raise him/her, I mean, become his/her tutor.

Answer 3

You cannot keep the baby. You have to report it to the authorities. I am not sure if you can raise it if no one claims it. I would think that it would go into foster care.

Answer 4

it has to be reported to the police or proper authorities and yes it is illegal if you do not report it child abandonment is a crime or the child could have been kidnapped from someone and left alone all sorts of scenarios this is a child were talking about not a puppy

Answer 5

Report it. Because maybe someone stole the baby from it's parents then abandon it somewhere. So the parents may be looking for it. Then if it comes up that you have the baby they might say you stole it.

Answer 6

You'd have to report it--you could keep it if you legally adopted the baby through a legit adoption agency.

Answer 7

you have to report it but if the parents don't want it you can adopt it if you are found fit!! you could write that the baby was abandoned by a teenager and she doesn't want it so you adopted it!!

Answer 8

Yep, definitely report it. What if the parents are looking for it?

I'm sure you could foster it legally if no parents or family are found.

Answer 9

It has to be reported or else you could get in trouble.

Answer 10

No, it has to be reported.