An interesting tidbit came across in Friday’s Bloomington Pantagraph. In an editorial entitled “State’s safe haven law proven benefit for babies” the Pantagraph reveals that the safe haven advocacy group Save Abandoned Babies Foundation, is compiling baby abandonment stats for the State of Illinois.
Huh?
As a Beltway lobbyist friend of Bastardette’s pointed out, “Do you think the White House would let Planned Parenthood collect family planning data?”
At this point, we can only go by what the editorial says, but this is not the first time this allegation has been made. An AP story in the May 17, 2005 edition of the Chicago Defender and other papers mentions that SABF “compiles information on the issue for state government.”
If the merry band of amateurs at Save Abandoned Babies Foundation is collecting data for the state in an official capacity, it is a direct conflict of interest, since SABF is not only the leading advocate and “educator” for safe havens, but SABF gang banger, Chicago Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter, has also been quoted as saying the safe haven law sunset needed to be repealed two years early, making the law permanent, so advocates could raise money for their organization.
If SABF is collecting data for the State of Illinois there’s a lot of questions to be answered:
*Who approved the arrangement?
*Does SABF receive public monies to fund its private advocacy via its statistics gathering?
*What qualifies SABF to collect and analyze statistics?
*What methodology does SABF use?
*How does SABF collect data? From their own “private” reports (and who knows where they get those reports?) or from state, county or local agencies?
*If public agencies are collecting data, then why aren’t they reporting directly to the Department of Social Services, not SABF?
*What reporting standards and criteria have been designed and mandated for local agencies and SABF?
*Are SABF data collectors trained in the arcane field of health statistics research and management?
*Are SABF volunteers given access to “confidential” records?
*Why has the state conceded its safe haven data collection responsibility to a private NGO that advocates for safe havens and stands to make money if the outcomes are favorable?
*If SABF is simply turning over its own data to the state, then how seriously does the state take the data? Would it consider data from organizations or individuals not favorable to safe havens?
If the editorial can be proven wrong, Bastardette will happily retract her complaints. But if it’s not, then the State of Illinois has some explaining to do.
Chickie Chickie Chickie Chickie Chickie!
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We’ll keep you informed.
For more on Illinois safe haven law see the Daily Bastardette’s The Pimping of Baby Matthew.
Since when are public employees in Illinois in the business of raising money for a private charity? Protecting abandoned children is a PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE best, and perhaps only legally addressed by the Illinois child welfare agency, the police department and public health care providers. Now, in addition to questions that should be raised about Illinois letting a private entity with a vested financial interest in the outcome of the data they are collecting, there should be an immediate investigation into any conspiracy involving other Illinois public employees to raise money for a private charity, already compromised by a lack of oversight.
PS. Where is Illinois’ Attorney General in all this?
Excuse me, Commissioner Cortez, but how do the public sector employees unions feel about your lobbying for money for a private entity when your own fire department, the police department and the child welfare agency in Illinois are already underfunded and now additionally charged with handling abandoned babies – this at a time when public safety officials have never had more demands placed on their already stressed staffs. Before you encourage fundraising for a private entity with a vested interest in the misery of young women in crisis perhaps you should consider seeking additional funds from the legislature for the additional responsibility the safe haven laws give your own agency.
Do you people smoke crack?
SABF is an all volunteer organization that does NOT receive funding from the State.
They collect stats on babies who are legally and illegally relinquished from reports given to and made public by the media BECAUSE THE STATE OF ILLINOIS (namely, DCFS) DOES NOT HAVE A BUDGET OR STAFF TO DO THIS!
No confidential records are reviewed and SABF is the first to admit its numbers can be skewed because there are, without doubt, children thrown away in dumpsters who are never found. Get it? people THROW BABIES AWAY. Safe Haven laws were created as an alternative to having to bury more dead newborns.