Currently all fifty states have enacted Safe Haven laws. Though the details of the laws vary from state to state, the intention is to provide a safe place for parents or another person who has the parent’s permission to leave an infant at a hospital or health care facility without fear of arrest for abandonment.
In the state of Iowa, when an infant is left at a Safe Haven site, the health care facility will contact a child protective worker. The Department of Human Services will immediately notify the Juvenile Court and the County Attorney, and request an Ex Parte Order from the Juvenile Court ordering the Department of Human Services to take custody of the child. Once the infant has been examined by medical personnel the child may be placed in foster care. The date and time of the hearing to terminate parental rights will be published in the newspaper. Parents are not required to attend the court hearing, which must be held within thirty days of the discovery of the infant at the Safe Haven location.
No clear statistics have been gathered regarding the number of children relinquished at Safe Haven sites. States, counties and individual communities do not maintain data in a consistent manner.
The laws are not without controversy. Some opponents believe that Safe Haven laws promote the abandonment of children and discourage women from seeking prenatal and postnatal medical care and counseling, thus endangering the health of both the mother and the baby. Opponents argue that they create a legislative Band-Aid, instead of addressing the root causes of baby abandonment and infanticide. Proponents of the laws herald the lives saved and the anonymity the programs provide in protecting parents.
If you have any questions regarding your state’s Safe Haven program you may contact any local health care facility or Department of Human Services.
Heather Gudenkauf
BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
Charm, Claire and Allison all serve as Joshua’s mother at some point in the novel. In the end, who is the best mother? Why do you think so? How does each of these characters evolve throughout the story?
The women in the story all love Joshua in their own way. What else do they have in common? What are their differences?
Describe Charm’s relationship with her mother. How does Charm demonstrate her determination to be different than her mother? What qualities do they share?
Olene, the director of the halfway house where Allison resides, tells her to “meet the world with hope in your heart.” What does this quote mean for each of the main characters? What does it mean for your own life?
Water is consistently referenced throughout the novel. What is its significance? What message do you think the author is trying to relate to the reader?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing, while often a solitary act, never can be done without the world seeping and sometimes crashing in. I am grateful to so many people who have been there for me and my family. Much gratitude goes to my parents, Milton and Patricia Schmida, who have been my strength and anchor in life. My brothers and sisters and their families, my life preservers—thank you to Greg, Mady and Hunter Schmida and Kimbra Valenti, Jane, Kip, Tommy and Meredith Augspurger, Morgan and Kyle Hawthorne, Milt, Jackie, Lizzie and Joey Schmida, Molly, Steve, Hannah, Olivia, and Myah Lugar, and Patrick and Sam Schmida. Thanks also to my Gudenkauf family, there for us every step of the way: Lloyd, Lois, Steve, Tami, Emily, Jenni, Aiden, Mark, Carie, Connor, Lauren, Dan, Robyn, Molly, and Cheryl, Hailey and Hannah Zacek.
I am deeply grateful to the following people who generously supported all things Gudenkauf: Jennifer and Kent Peterson, Jean and Charlie Daoud, Ann and John Schober, Rose and Steve Schulz, Cathie and Paul Kloft, Sandy and Rick Hoerner, Laura and Jerry Trimble, Mike and Brenda Reinert and their families. Thank you to Danette Putchio, Lenora Vinckier, Tammy Lattner, Mary Fink, Mark Burns, Cindy Steffens, Susan Meehan, Bev and Mel Graves, Barbara and Calvin Gatch, Ann O’Brien, Father Rich Adam and the parishioners of St. Joseph’s in Wellman, Iowa, Kae and Jerry Pugh, Sarah Reiss and the many families near and far who were always there for us. Huge thanks go to the instructional coaches, principals, teachers, staff and students from the DCSD, especially George Washington Middle School, Carver, Kennedy, Bryant and Marshall Elementary Schools, as well as Jones Hand in Hand Preschool.
Heartfelt thanks go out to my agent Marianne Merola, who always has my best interests in mind and faces me in the right direction. Her guidance and friendship have meant the world. My editors Valerie Gray and Miranda Indrigo have provided friendship, support, insight and suggestions that have helped me to become a better writer. Thank you also to Heather Foy, Pete McMahon, Andi Richman, Nanette Long, Emily Ohanjanians, Kate Pawson, Jayne Hoogenberk, Margaret Marbury, Donna Hayes and everyone at MIRA Books, who have taken me under their wing and have worked tirelessly on my behalf. A special thank-you goes to Natalia Blaskovich, who provided me with valuable information regarding Iowa law and the criminal justice system.
As always, all my love and thanks to Scott, Alex, Anna and Grace—I couldn’t do it without you.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8433-7
THESE THINGS HIDDEN
Copyright © 2011 by Heather Gudenkauf
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Heather Gudenkauf, These Things Hidden
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