With six you get eggroll

But what about eight?

If there was ever a national example as to why a parental fitness act should be enacted, it is the story of Nadya Suleman.  For those readers who are not familiar with Ms. Suleman's story, she is the woman who gave birth to octuplets - after taking fertility drugs and after having six (yes, six) other children.

Please check out this article for detailed information

Had The Parental Fitness Act already been a law, would she have been able to have had the children?  Would she be declared financially fit?  Probably not.  And what about psychologically fit?  Well, we all know the answer to that one.

What will happen to these 14 children?  What kind of stability can such an environment provide?  And just as important, why should taxpayers foot the bill for someone who is clearly not working for the best interests of her children?  For anyone outside of California, the state is in a fiscal emergency, facing a multi-billion dollar deficit, Medi-Cal enrollees are capped, and the Governor today announced the possible layoffs of 10,000 state workers.

Being a responsible parent means not only being responsible for one's children, but being a responsible member of the community as well.  Clearly Ms. Suleman is neither, but the reality is she is not the only one.  There are many people having children who can not afford them and rely on taxpayer assistance.

We're not talking about the family that falls on hard times.  Our objection is that in this case - this specific case - there was a complete disregard for the welfare of the children and the community at large.

Kaiser Permanente's actions also raise a serious question, albeit for a tangential discussion.  What would happen to a healthcare provider who assisted in the delivery of a child to an individual or couple who was not licensed under TPFA?  In Ms. Suleman's case, Kaiser willingly billed Medi-Cal for the delivery, which will be thousands and thousands of dollars.  In this case, the healthcare provider was also acting irresponsibly.

Again let us say we are not trying to impede the fundamental right of people to parent a child.  However, in a situation like Ms. Suleman's, is there a more convincing argument to license potential parents?

California's children deserve a reasonable environment.

Support TPFA so that the children get the security they deserve.