15-Year-Old Mother Facing Charges After Turning Herself Into Police For Abandoning Newborn Baby On Upper Darby Porch, Officials Say
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- A 15-year-old has been identified as the mother who abandoned her newborn baby girl on a porch in Upper Darby. The teen told police she was scared and didn't know what to do.
The leader of one local organization says help is out there to prevent situations like this from happening.
Northern Children's Services in Manayunk has a residential program for young mothers to help get them stabilized. They say that stability is often times what young mothers need.
"It is scary but there are a lot of people who care and a lot of resources available," Renata Cobbs-Fletcher, president and CEO of Northern Children's Services, said.
Cobbs-Fletcher says cases like what happened in Upper Darby on Tuesday never have to happen. The case left neighbors stunned.
"I think it's sad. I think it's sad that at this day and age, we're still having children that are having children," Upper Darby resident Maima Kamara said.
Police Searching For Missing Mother, 3-Week-Old Baby In Dire Need Of Medical Care
The newborn's 15-year-old mother will now face child endangerment charges. Police said the girl turned herself in Friday afternoon.
She told investigators she gave birth to the child in her bathroom Monday evening, wrapped the baby in a blanked and walked it down the street and placed it on the porch.
Police say the girl's parents didn't know she was pregnant.
"You're speechless. you're speechless. At first you're like oh my God, why this baby? What happened to it? I hope that the child is OK, but then you find out it's of a child -- you're thinking what was in her mind? You want to have compassion for her as well," Kamara said.
Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia Getting In-Residence Therapy Dog
Cobbs-Fletcher says if more people knew about the resources they and other groups offer, cases like these can be prevented.
"We as a community need to do a better job of getting the word out. There's lots of resources, lots of providers such as Northern Children's Services that are here to accept young mothers, pregnant or parenting," Cobbs-Fletcher said.
Cobbs-Fletcher says the Department of Human Services has plenty of programs available for young mothers who think there's nowhere for them to go.
CBS3's Howard Monroe reports.