Infant Safe Haven Laws

Infant safe haven laws allow the biological parent to permanently "drop-off" her child at specific places and to remain anonymous and be protected from prosecution for abandonment or neglect. 

These infant safe haven laws allow a woman in crisis to safely relinquish her baby to a safe haven where the baby will be protected and provided with medical care until a permanent home can be found.

Approximately 46 states now have an infant safe haven law. The usual safe haven provider includes hospitals, emergency medical services, police stations, and fire stations. Generally, anyone on staff at these institutions can receive an infant.

In the majority of states when a child has been placed into a safe haven, the infant will be transferred to the state's department that handles child protective or child welfare cases.  The state authority will then petition the court to end the birth parent's parental rights.

A good place to read more about infant safe havens is the article Infant Safe Haven Laws  on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website.

An excellent alternative to placing a child with a safe haven is to contact a non-profit adoption agency, such as Adoption Services, to assure the best possible placement for your child.  You can also contact me, Dr. Berger, the author of this website, and my staff and I will personally help you and your baby.