Local agencies offer hope to mothers in need

CPS said a mother who left her 8-month-old son at a fire station Monday will likely not be prosecuted

HOUSTON – Child Protective Services said a mother who left her 8-month-old son at a fire station Monday will likely not be prosecuted.

That child was too old to fall under the state's Baby Moses law which only covers newborns up to 2-months-old who are left at safe spots like fire stations and hospitals.

But when the child is older, there are other alternatives for moms and dads who need help.

HFD Firefighters at Station 39 were eating breakfast Monday morning when they heard the cries of a baby outside.
Inside the station garage, they found a baby boy in a stroller.

The next day, a woman claiming to be the baby's mother showed up in court, where CPS was granted custody.

Colleen Kitowski with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston told Local 2, "It had to have been a very desperate situation. I think young women who can experience a variety of situations today poverty, AIDS, homelessness, all sorts of things can impact their decision making process."

Kitwoski wants parents who face such desperate circumstances that they're willing to abandon or abort their children to know that there are alternatives available.

She explained, "There is light at the end of the tunnel that they will be able to survive, that by making a plan to adoption, it empowers them to be part of the process."

Kitowski said less than two percent of moms choose adoption, but licensed agencies like Catholic Charities are there to provide assistance and counseling to the birth mother in order to give that child the best life possible.

Kitowski said, "We really believe adoption doesn't end when the baby is placed. The story only begins."

It's now up to the courts to decide what's in the best interest of the 8-month-old who was abandoned at Fire Station 39.

But, CPS told Local 2 that since the child was in good health and didn't show any signs of abuse, it's unlikely any charges will be filed against the mother.

MATERNITY HOTLINE for the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston 713-245-0300