China: 'Baby box' plan for unwanted newborns causes stir

[Jazzy]

A Chinese city's plan for a "baby box" where parents can anonymously leave their unwanted infants is proving controversial, it's reported.

Shenzhen has apparently applied to the Guangdong provincial authorities to pilot such a facility next year. Some social media users have warned that the box will encourage "irresponsible parents" to give away their unwanted children, the People's Daily newspaper says.

But the head of Shenzhen's social welfare center, Tang Rongsheng, points out that nearly 100 abandoned infants have been handed over to his center this year. "The shelter embodies the idea of prioritizing the interest of the child," he says.

Shenzhen is not the only Chinese city to consider such a system. Shijiazhuang apparently launched one in 2011 and has since received 170 infants. Other cities are expected to follow suit, the Jiangsu Province web portal reports. Baby boxes, common in medieval Europe, are making a comeback in countries such as Germany. But the boxes have been criticized by the UN for violating the rights of children.

Source

What are your thoughts about these "baby boxes" ? Good idea or no?

 

[Nebulous]

Weird. If people want to discard their babies, they shouldn't leave him/her in a box.

 

[identityissues8]

Wait. So who brings up the children? The state?

Can we adopt?

 

[Naiwen]

Yeah, ought to teach the parents a lesson. Parents shouldn't be having kids irresponsibly like in the West. Or shouldn't have the "freedom" to since China's over-populated.

One day, the whole world is going to face over-population and lack of space if parents had children "irresponsibly".

 

[Nebulous]

Yeah, ought to teach the parents a lesson.

What exactly is lesson being learned here?

 

[Naiwen]

Yeah, ought to teach the parents a lesson.

What exactly is lesson being learned here?

to not have children or babies "irresponsibly" without having the financial conditions for raising them...

 

[Nebulous]

I see. And how are they learning that lesson by having a place to drop off the babies? If anything it teaches people that they can have babies and give them away with no questions asked.

Although I suppose that is a good thing because there are lot of potential parents out there that want to adopt.

 

[Naiwen]

Yep... now, do you honestly want these children to live in a family who doesn't even want them or welcome them...? No. And there are plenty of other parents willing to adopt them and to love them, yes.

 

[Nebulous]

Yep... now, do you want these children to live in a family who doesn't even want them or welcome them...? No. And there are plenty of other parents willing to adopt them, yes.

Indeed. But I still don't get the "teach them a lesson" part you said, but okay....

 

[Naiwen]

Yep... now, do you want these children to live in a family who doesn't even want them or welcome them...? No. And there are plenty of other parents willing to adopt them, yes.

Indeed. But I still don't get the "teach them a lesson" part you said, but okay....

Let me explain it to you: if you (as a parent) gave away your child, you can't have him/her back...
no matter how much the "birth parents" want them back... and that's a lesson for them.. (the "biological" parents...)
. (in this sense).

 

[Nebulous]

Yep... now, do you want these children to live in a family who doesn't even want them or welcome them...? No. And there are plenty of other parents willing to adopt them, yes.

Indeed. But I still don't get the "teach them a lesson" part you said, but okay....

Let me explain it to you: if you (as a parent) gave away your child, you can't have him/her back...
no matter how much the "birth parents" want them back... and that's a lesson for them..
. (in this sense).

Oh, so some people will be taught that lesson, what about the parents who don't care? What lesson will they learn?

 

[Sinon]

Yep... now, do you want these children to live in a family who doesn't even want them or welcome them...? No. And there are plenty of other parents willing to adopt them, yes.

Indeed. But I still don't get the "teach them a lesson" part you said, but okay....

Let me explain it to you: if you (as a parent) gave away your child, you can't have him/her back...
no matter how much the "birth parents" want them back... and that's a lesson for them.. (the "biological" parents...)
. (in this sense).

If they don't want the kid, they won't be "learning a lesson" by not having them anymore.

 

[Naiwen]

But if they regret giving the baby away, they won't getting her or him back... and that's a harsh/hard lesson learnt for these parents about having babies and then giving them out to strangers.

 

[Naiwen]

I thought this is an American concept?

Leave your child at a fire station or what-not if the mother doesn't want them... That's encouraged after cases of mothers leaving their babies in a dumpster or some place that the baby would surely die...

Or forget them in a car... right...?

 

[Evil Eye]

What are your thoughts about these "baby boxes" ? Good idea or no?

I suppose it's better than just leaving them somewhere they might not get cared for... bit sad that it would be needed though.

 

[Jazzy]

It is very sad and I wonder how much the one-child law has to do with the need for these boxes.

 

[Naiwen]

It is very sad and I wonder how much the one-child law has to do with the need for these boxes.

No, it's the people's irreponsible desire to have children that caused China to have
the one-child policy and irrational sexual attraction for each other that caused over-population in China, which is why, China adopted this policy.

Sooner or later, Earth is going to face the same problem: population density. And maybe it wasn't a smart move, however if couples could control childbirths by using condoms and birth control pills, the problem (over-population) would be greatly reduced and they could have sex with each other whenever they desire it. And then the one-child policy wouldn't be needed.