w00t w00t booyah

yeah but it also gives an out for people who are just lazy. OTOH, it also gives somewhere for folks to go who just can't afford to raise a child. in my family, my "grandfather" (he abandoned the family when my mom was 2, so he is only biologically a grandfather) was separated from his 3 siblings because the family was broke. one child ended up in an orphanage and never got out. after the orphanage he was in various institutions. very sad.

the problem is the public announcement of the lack of commitment. when you're given an easy out, you take it. my uncle duane lived in an institution all his life, but the other 3 kids had extended family raise them, adn they went on to have something of a life.

i'm all for stopping the babies getting thrown away. but for the older kids...
complicated. they will always have abandonment issues.