This program assists in the delivery and placement of these children in homes where they are very much wanted. Since the program began in 1996, there have been over 155 infants rescued. (Project Cuddle, Baby) Programs like this work. .
A lot of people assume that mothers who abandon their babies are substance abusers or young. That is not always the case. Some reasons that have been given to the Project Cuddle volunteers include: "being a victim of rape, the father being someone other than the spouse, fear of being abused if discovered, fear of humiliation, fear of Social Services taking other children, fear of an ex-spouse taking custody- (Project Cuddle) There are many reasons why these women abandon their children. .
" "My daughter says her fear was I would throw her out," said Linda." (Cnn.com, More) These women need other options besides killing their child, these women need to have a safe place to drop a child they feel they can't care for. .
A lot of women who hide their pregnancies are in denial. They are just hoping it will go away by some miracle. After the child is born, they see no other way than to throw it away. " "They [babies] don't go away and, of course, the crisis is when the baby is born. For nine months you bury your head in the sand, you hope to wake up and see the problem resolved. In crisis, kids do incredible things," said Dr. Peter Harris." (Roberts) There needs to be a legal place for these women to turn, leave the baby and get on with their lives. It would guarantee the survival of that child. .
"US statistics show that 300 to 400 dead newborns are discovered discarded annually, whether stillborn, killed or dead of exposure, according to Dr. Philip J. Resnick, a leading expert on the murder of newborns." (Roberts) It is so sad that these children are just thrown away. And the worst part is that there is no telling how many more are simply not found.