Jonathan's Law pushed after O.D.
Heck death
By Subrina Dhammi
February 19, 2007
New law would allow parents access
to records
More lawmakers are calling for
change after the death of a disabled teenager.
The Rensselaer County Legislature
majority will ask the state to pass Jonathan's Law.
The proposed law is named after
Jonathan Carey, a 13-year-old resident of the O.D. Heck
Developmental Center who died last week. Police say he was in care
of two aides from the center when he died.
The current law does not allow
parents to access information from the state about abuse
investigations.
County Legislator Martin Reid says
Jonathan's Law would change that.
“It has to be a gut wrenching
decision on a parent’s part even to commit them to these facilities,
to give up that care and not keep them at home, and then to have
this kind of situation or other abuse and not be able to ask about
that,” Reid said.
Reid says a resolution calling on
the state to pass Jonathan's Law will be introduced at the county
Legislature's meeting next month.
Meanwhile, calling hours will be
Tuesday for Carey at the Delmar Full Gospel Church on Elsmere Avenue
from 5 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Wednesday with a
reception following at the church.
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