A Safe Haven For Newborns

What Is A Safe Haven Baby Box

A Baby Box is a safety device provided for under states Safe Haven Law and legally permits a mother in crisis to safely, securely, and anonymously surrender if they are unable to care for their newborn. A Baby Box is installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. It has an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn inside the Baby Box, and an interior door which allows a medical staff member to secure the surrendered newborn from inside the designated building.

How many babies have been saved through SHBB?

• The Safe Haven Baby Box organization staffs a 24-hour hotline to give women the opportunity to talk to a trained professional as they consider safely surrendering their baby.

• Many babies have been surrendered inside Safe Haven Baby Boxes since the first was installed in 2016. Nationwide, over 120 surrenders have resulted from calls to the Safe Haven Baby Boxes national hotline.

Do we really need a Safe Haven Baby Box?

• Reports of infant abandonment and death of infants from abandonment throughout the country continues even with the establishment of the Safe Haven Law in every state for the past 10 to 20 years.

• Many mothers-in-crisis want and need anonymity when surrendering an infant, due either to fear of recognition, the stigma associated with surrendering a child, or fear of prosecution due to ignorance and/or misunderstanding of the Safe Haven law.

Meet A Safe Haven For Newborns Foundernick E Silverio

Safe Haven babies are given a chance for a future. A Safe Haven baby might become the President of the United States, a Supreme Court Justice, a scientist finding a cure for cancer or most important, a great mom or dad to their children. Lives are being saved due to the strong Safe Haven alliance and partnerships with hospitals and Fire and EMS stations working to receive a Safe Haven Baby, coupled with protecting the anonymity of the parent as the law allows.

This is a positive outcome for all involve a Safe Haven babys life is saved a mother or father is saved from a lifetime of guilt, anguish and legal prosecution the hopes of a family waiting to adopt a Safe Haven baby are fulfilled. A Safe Haven alliance includes other agencies and the private sector. A Safe Haven alliance also supports other states in their Safe Haven efforts.

A Safe Haven for Newborns is dedicated to saving the precious lives of newborns from the ultimate in infant abuse, abandonment and assisting pregnant girls and women in crisis. A Safe Haven for Newborns, thru community outreach campaigns, education and our community service app, is dedicated to reaching pregnant girls and women before they reach the crisis stage. We do not charge for any of our services.

We believed from the beginning, if we saved one life, all of our efforts would be truly worthwhile.

Safe Haven For Newborns

What is Safe Haven for Newborns?

SAFE HAVEN FOR NEWBORNS, TRULY MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

• 354 newborns not abandoned in Florida, left at Safe Haven .
• Over 5000 girls/women assisted in their time of need or crisis.
• 72 mothers, their anonymity not a concern, choose to place their baby directly with a licensed adoption agency.
• 5 parents were helped to successfully regain their parental rights.
• 7 newborns were saved from abandonment in other States, and 1 newborn was saved in the country of Honduras securing their future.

At times, FAC has the opportunity to place Safe Haven Babies with our waiting families. The Safe Haven Law is designed to save babies from unsafe abandonment. It gives a desperate parent a responsible alternative to choosing life. Safe Haven law is a safety net that allows parents to abandon their unharmed newborns that are not more than a week old at any safe haven facility recognized by the state laws without prosecution.

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All Calls Are Confidential And Everyone Is Helped

We are never, ever judgmental. It takes enormous compassion and a great deal of courage to seek help vs. the tragic alternative of abandonment, often resulting in an innocent newborns death.

Without the Safe Haven program, activities and our 24/7 multilingual referral helpline, many if not most, of the hundreds of precious newborns saved to date from the dangers of abandonment would not be here today. They are in loving homes with their adoptive parents reaching for the world, maybe the President of the United States, a Supreme Court Justice, a Scientist finding a cure for cancer or most important, a great mom or dad to their children.

A Safe Haven For Your Baby

You can make decisions before having a baby about who will care for the newborn. That might mean relatives, adoptive parents, the father and/or you.

A great advice and information center is the Pennsylvania Safe Haven Helpline, at . They can walk you through the decisions youll have to make and explore all your options before the baby is born. Another good place for information is the Safe Haven web site, at www.secretsafe.org.

If youre not prepared to be a mom or take care of your newborn, and you dont have anyone to ask for help, theres a place where you can take your baby to ensure his or her safety and health a Safe Haven. All hospitals in Pennsylvania are Safe Havens. All you have to do is give your newborn to any hospital. Thats all. No one will ask questions. No one will judge you. If its a secret, it will stay a secret.

After the baby is left at the hospital, he or she is in safe hands. The local county children and youth agency will take custody of the baby and find the baby a good home. If at any point you change your mind and want your baby back, you will need to contact your county children and youth agency.

For additional information regarding the Pennsylvania Safe Haven Law,

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Safely Legally And Anonymously Surrender An Unwanted Infant

New Jersey’s Safe Haven Infant Protection Act allows an individual to give up an unwanted infant safely, legally and anonymously. The parents – or someone acting on their behalf – can leave an unharmed baby less than 30 days old with staff at any hospital emergency room, police station, fire station, ambulance, first aid or rescue squad. The New Jersey Department of Children and Families will ensure that the infant is placed with a foster or pre-adoptive home.

Keeping Tabs On Records

While everyones deciding which is more egregious storing sensitive documents in your Florida home or stashing them in your Delaware garage or leased office space no one seems to be interested in the basic question. Why isnt anyone keeping tabs on these documents and their safe return?

Maybe the federal government can take a cue from the local library. Send out an overdue notice when the classified item isnt returned in a timely way. Charge a daily fine after the due date. Revoke borrowing privileges if necessary.

Problem solved.

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Archives A Good Steward

In response to Jim Ciemnys Jan. 17 letter , he is not correct. The records in question were not something to be returned because the National Archives never possessed them in the first place. That is the whole point.

All official presidential records belong to the administration and are then transferred to National Archives and Records Administration custody once the administrations term has ended. These were not. Furthermore, you dont sign out permanent retention records as if the NARA is a lending library.

Having had a 35-year career with the NARA, I can say that the agency is a serious steward of the nations historical records. I am proud of the way my former colleagues have responded to this matter. I suggest a visit to archives.gov. It is worth the time spent.

David Kuehl, Streamwood

Why Is The Safe Surrender Law Necessary

The law, passed in 2001, is intended to prevent newborn abandonment and homicide. The risk of homicide on the first day of life is 10 times greater than any other time in a persons life. The law provides parents in crisis who feel they have no other choice a way to surrender their baby safely without providing the parents name.

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How Does Safe Haven Work

Under Wisconsin law, a parent can leave their unharmed newborn child under 72 hours old with a:

• 911 emergency medical staff person
• hospital staff member

without fear of legal consequences. If you do not indicate that you will be back for your child this is called Safe Haven or Infant Relinquishment. You do not have to give your name or address to the professional accepting the baby, unless:

• The baby has been harmed
• You are being forced by someone to give up the baby
• The baby is more than 3 days old

You may be asked if you are willing to fill out a form. This form is NOT required. It will, however, help providers give the best care to your infant now and in the future.

Baby Box Success For Indiana Fire Department

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine –

Earlier this month, WAGM told you about about a UMFK Nursing Student who hopes to have safe haven baby boxes installed in Aroostook County. After concerns were raised regarding the safety and legitimacy of the boxes, WAGM reached out to a fire station who has had one installed for nearly 5 years. NewsSource8s Brian Bouchard has the story.

This program, from my perspective, closely aligns with why the fire service exists, which is to help human beings

David Haboush is Chief of Carmel Fire Department in Carmel Indiana. Carmel received their baby box in 2018, and despite going several years without use, his department currently holds the record for the most babies surrendered via Safe Haven Baby Boxes nationwide.

Its a compartment inside of a wall of a fire house, police station or emergency room. It has an outside door that a person can walk up to and safely surrender their newborn.

Weve had 3 babies, the most of any baby box so far in the county. Were very proud of that and very proud in the sense that all 3 babies are alive and well. One we know for sure has been adopted, the second one is in the process and the third one is with a foster family at this time, but theyre all alive an well and were very proud to have been a part of that.

Brian Bouchard, NewsSource8

Copyright 2023 WAGM. All rights reserved.

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What Is Safe Haven

In Maryland, no one ever has to abandon a newborn baby. Under the Safe Haven law, a distressed parent who is unable or unwilling to care for their infant can safely give up custody of their baby, no questions asked. Newborns can be left at hospitals or law enforcement stations, some of which are listed below.

A parent has up to 10 days from the birth to invoke Safe Haven anonymously and safely leave a baby with a responsible adult at a designated location. A person who invokes Safe Haven is immune from civil liability or criminal prosecution provided the child is unharmed.

If you have questions about Marylands Safe Haven law, call the Department of Human Resources at 800-332-6347 or your .

Safe Havens For Newborns

For District parents who cannot care for their newborns, help is available. Making a responsible choice gives the baby the chance for a good life. The Districts Newborn Safe Haven Amendment Act of 2010 gives parents in crisis a responsible alternative to abandoning or discarding a newborn.

Any DC resident who is the parent of a newborn less than 14 days old may give the infant to workers at any hospital in DC, all of which are desigated safe havens. The surrendering parent does not have to give his or her name. The parent may provide a health history to help the baby, but doing so is optional. As long as the infant is unharmed, the parent will not face any legal consequences.

District residents who use a safe haven give up their rights as the babys parent. Within a day of receiving an infant, hospitals transfer care to the DC Child and Family Services Agency. CFSA then provides foster care while seeking an adoptive home for the infant.

Since beginning in Texas in 1999, all state legislatures have enacted Baby Moses laws to address infant abandonment and infanticide. Safe haven laws generally allow a parent to remain anonymous and shielded from prosecution in exchange for surrendering an unharmed infant to a designated location.

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What Happens To My Baby

All Safe Haven infants are kept safe at the hospital until medically stable to be released to their pre-adoptive home. All infants are discharged directly to pre-adoptive families. They do not move through several foster homes. They are placed with a family pre-approved for adoption where a child welfare agency monitors the childs well-being until the adoption is finalized.

What If I Change My Mind

If you change your mind, please contact the County Human or Social Services Department in the county where you left the baby with a professional under the Safe Haven law. Before the county will consider returning the baby to you, you must first prove you are the babys parent. A genetic test can prove you are the parent.

If you are the parent, you must take a number of steps before the child may be returned to you, including:

• Meeting with a County Social Worker
• Having the County worker visit your home or where you plan on living with the child
• Providing information on why you gave up the baby
• Providing information on the health of the baby
• Providing information on your ability to care for the baby, including parenting skills
• Providing information on anything that may keep you from caring for the baby and
• Providing information on your relationship with the babys other parent.

Based on all of this information, you may be asked to receive services to make sure the child will be safe in your care. The county and the court will make the final decision on the childs return to your home.

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Do Not Leave The Baby Somewhere And Hope That Someone Will Find The Baby

Many states have Safe Haven laws. These designate places where a baby may be surrendered. North Carolina’s law is different because it designates people, not places. Safe Surrender is not abandoning a baby on a doorstep. You must hand the baby over to a person.

It would be helpful to your baby and the adopting family if you make some health and family history information available when you surrender the baby, even if you dont give your name. A surrendering parent can provide the information to the adult accepting the baby, or the information can be sent confidentially to the local county Department of Social Services.

If You Or The Newborn Needs Medical Attention Get It Right Away

Having a baby without any medical help can lead to serious complications for you or the baby. It’s better to seek help than to risk serious health consequences.

If you have any of the following symptoms, seek medical care:

• Vaginal bleeding that doesn’t slow down when you rest
• A bad smell to vaginal blood
• A fever of 101 or above
• Pain in the abdomen or vaginal area
• Severe headaches
• A feeling of burning when you urinate

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Safe Haven For Newborns Program

California’s “Safely Surrendered Baby Law” went into effect on January 1, 2001. This law allows a birth parent, or any adult with legal custody of the child, who is either unwilling or unable to care for their newborn, the option to legally, confidentially and safely surrender that child to a hospital emergency room or other designated location within 3 days of birth, without criminal prosecution for child abandonment.

The San Francisco Fire Department plays a pivotal role in the Safe Haven for Newborns Program, which designates all SFFD Fire Station Locations as surrender sites for newborn infants. Members of the Fire Department assume responsibility for the safety and medical treatment of infants surrendered to them and placed in their care.

If you have any additional questions regarding the Safe Haven for Newborns Program or would like more information, please contact the resources listed below.

Florida A Safe Haven For Newborns Resources Are Available At No Cost To All Of Our Partners To Include But Not Limited To:

• Department of Children and Families
• Health organizations
• Healthy Families

This alliance and collaboration in all 67 Florida counties is creating greater public awareness about the mission of A Safe Haven for Newborns .. saving babies.

Thank you for your partnership. Public awareness is saving lives, the precious newborn and their mother.

Please use the form below to order your Safe Haven resources.

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Precious Newborns 308 In Florida 5 In Other States And One Little One In The Country Of Honduras Have Been Saved From Abandonment

WHAT IS SAFE HAVEN FOR NEWBORNS?Floridas Safe Baby Law allows mothers and/or fathers, or whoever is in possession of an unharmed newborn approximately 7 days old or less, to leave them in the arms of an employee at any Hospital or staffed 24/7 Fire Rescue Station, or Emergency Medical Station. No questions asked, totally anonymous, free from fear of prosecution.

What are the rules under the Safe Haven law?

• The infant must be approximately seven days old or younger
• The infant cannot have been abused or neglected
• The infant must be left at a Safe Haven location
• The infant must be left in the hands of staff at a Safe Haven location

Where can I find a Safe Haven location?Many hospitals , fire stations and ambulance stations will have a sign that identifies their building as a Safe Haven location. Please make sure you tell them that you are leaving your infant in a Safe Haven.< This is what a Safe Haven location identification sign looks like.

What if I want more information on Safe Haven for Newborns?The Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands & Polk Counties, Inc. can provide you with written Safe Haven for Newborns materials to help you make a safe and educated decision for your baby. You may also to visit the Safe Haven for Newborns website or call the 24-hour helpline at 1-877-767-BABY x 2229. The helpline is confidential and toll-free and assistance is available in English, Spanish, and Creole.