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About The AMT Children of Hope
Foundation
What is the AMT Children of Hope
Foundation?
First off, the AMT stands for Ambulance Medical Technician. It is the
position given to professional paramedics working for the Nassau County
Police Department, Nassau County, NY. The Foundation was started because
there was a need to pay for a burial of an unwanted baby. That need has
evolved.
Prevention is our Vision
We work hard with many different agencies and medias to educate the
public that throwing away an unwanted infant is not an option. New York
was the first state to enact a "Safe Haven" law with allows a birth
mother to relinquish custody in a safe manner, and not be criminally
liable for abandonment. Although most states have their version of this
law, the idea of giving up your unwanted baby instead of causing it's
death gives those in desperation another option.
Safe Haven
A Safe Haven is a designated public place, such as a hospital,
firehouse, EMS station or police precinct when a baby can be left, in a
safe condition, so that it may be permanently cared for. The goal of the
Safe Haven is to accept an infant from a birth mother, get the infant
medical care if needed, then put the infant in the adoption process.
Success stories
Since the Foundation started focusing on prevention of infanticide and
enabling Safe Havens to give options to desperate birth parents, we have
save the live of many children
An unwanted child, it's life thrown away, receives the funeral of a
hero.
The Foundation started as a fund to pay for the funerals of babies that
we tossed away shortly after birth. After the need arose to bury several
babies, the Founder, Tim Jaccard, decided to change the focus of the
Foundation...toward preventing the tragedy from occurring.
Timothy Jaccard, a full-time Nassau County Police Ambulance Medical
Technician, has now dedicated his life to saving as many children as he
can from succumbing to the desperate act or their birth parents who do
not know what else to do.
We are a non-profit organization based on Long Island, New York but
maintain a national reach. We have been on the Montel Williams, Rosie
O'Donnell, and Ricki Lake shows as well as numerous radio shows.
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Foundation President
Timothy Jaccard is the Founder and President of the AMT Children of Hope
Foundation. A full-time paramedic for the Nassau County Police
Department, Long Island, NY, he works endlessly and passionately to
educate and prevent the abandonment of infants.
Foundation Staff
The supportive staff of the Foundation are all volunteers who assist Mr.
Jaccard in the prevention of the desperate act of infanticide. They are
called upon for their expertise in their area. You can see a list of the
staff to contact them individually.
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Our Profile
We were founded by members of the Ambulance Medical Technicians of the
Nassau County Police Department. After a series of cases of infanticide
in Nassau County, the emotional impact began taking its toll, on
ourselves as well as the community. We sought a level of closure, peace
and hope. Looking after these unfortunate victims of a society gone
astray through a dignified burial gave us a sense of healing from this
pain. We turned our focus toward the despondent people who would commit
such a horrible desperate act. Our effort to enlighten these people to
other means of solving their problems is the driving force of the
Foundation. Although this is a huge undertaking, we believe that doing
nothing, as more infants are found abandoned shortly after birth, would
be a far greater tragedy.
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Our Goals
Without regard to race, color, age, creed or national origin and in the
capacity as EMS providers, we will help save lives of infants who have
been abandoned. We will act as a Safe Haven and accept newborns from a
parent or guardian who wishes to relinquish custody. We will refer to
the appropriate government agencies and other non-profit social service
agencies capable of providing advice and counsel to pre- and postpartum
persons if the need arises.
Arrangement is made for the dignified burials of abandoned and unclaimed
deceased infants or children, alone or in conjunction with appropriate
governmental agencies or other charitable organizations.
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Our Purpose
The Board of Directors of the AMT Children of Hope Foundation are often
asked why they become involved with pregnant women and answer calls on a
crisis intervention hotline. The simple fact is that burying infants is
a task we hardly look forward to! We understand that desperate people,
who have already decided not to keep their child after birth, may not
know their options. Knowing about our efforts to provide dignity to an
abandoned child may make them feel better in some way; knowing that
their child will "be taken care of" after they abandon them (which we
DON'T want to happen). This may help them to decide to abandon their
child in an unsafe manor rather than to seek an alternative.
Unfortunately, the more notoriety the Foundation achieves, the more
effort must go toward preventing this very occurrence.
This is where our most important purpose lies. All of the efforts of the
Foundation pay off if we can change the mind of one person who had been
intent on murdering their child and throwing them away. It can be as
simple as discussing alternatives they either were unaware of or had not
considered. With the signing into law of the Abandoned Infant Protection
Act here in New York, we have been focusing on educating people and
insuring they know about Safe Havens. We achieve the same level of
satisfaction out of a saved life like this than when we are able to save
a life in the back of an ambulance.
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The Foundation always keeps in mind that people are entitled to their
own opinions and choices. Do to the political and social ramifications,
we cannot be advocates of pro-life or pro-choice issues. Our purpose is
to do whatever is necessary to prevent finding another deceased
abandoned infant. We are doing what we do on behalf of the
children...and we sure could use your help!
If you want
to help,
Click Here to Donate!
If you would like to help us by making a tax-deductible donation, you
may send a check or money order to out business address
The AMT Children of Hope Foundation
c/o Nassau County Police Department
1490 Franklin Avenue
Mineola, NY 11501
CRISIS LINE
1-877-796-HOPE (4673)
Business Office 516-781-3511
FAX:516-781-0691
Click Here to Contact us via the Web Site
All crisis calls are kept strictly confidential. The Foundation members
are not counselors, they are crisis intervention professionals that are
trained to assist in finding you the help you need.
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