Safe Haven LawMari Dwyer, Mackenzie Kincade , Bethany Beitlich

Safe Drops

• Babies can be dropped off at a police station, fire stations or a hospital. Anywhere that a emergency care provider can take custody of the child is allowed. • Each state has different age limits, most are a period of

30 days or shorter like 72 hours.• Also regulations on the child’s health and who can drop

the child off depends on each states law.

First State to Pass Law

• The Safe Haven law was first recognized in 1999. • Indiana was the first state to pass the law about

safe drops for unwanted babies.• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPIcAF5cOi

E

Difference in Terms

• Discarded infants are newborns who are left by their parents in public places

without any care or supervision provided.

• Abandoned infants (at safe drops) are newborns left in the care of emergency

responders in a certain period of days by a parent.

Comparison & Similarity

Minnesota • A child who is 72 hours old

or younger may be relinquished.

• A mother or any person that has the mother’s permission may relinquish the newborn.

• Both have the same law that if the child is harmed the parent can no longer stay anonymous and they can go to court.

Ohio• A child who is no older than

30 days may be relinquished.• DNA testing is done if

parents wants to be reunited with the relinquished child.

• Both have the same law that if the child is harmed the parent can no longer stay anonymous and they can go to court.

Safe Drops in Other Countries• China has an actual building for unwanted babies, this is

caused usually by the 2 child laws or parents not being able to afford a newborn who is diseased.

• In Russia, there are boxes to leave babies in.

Ethical Issues• In Korea, grandparents drop off the newborns instead of the

mother of the child.• Parents in China are forced to leave their child due to the two

children only law.

Social Issues Across the World

• In Russia, a UN convention is held• Drop boxes violate the children’s right• Encourage parents to drop children of for the wrong

reason• Parents should be involved until child is adopted

• Women don’t want people to know that they abandoned their newborn.• Women feel shamed, self conscious for getting

pregnant• It offers a better opinion for women to get rid of their

child

Last States to have this Law• The last states to pass the law were Alaska

and Nebraska in 2008.• In Nebraska there was trouble with the law

due to no age limit.• Over 30 children from infants to teenagers

were abandoned at Nebraska hospitals.• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

LL28m7rTXOI• This controversy in the law was corrected

and now the revised law states that a parent can leave a child who isn’t older than 30 days.

• This non profit organization was created in Illinois in March, 2000 to prevent babies dying from abandonment.• It was created after reading an article about a baby being

abandoned in a dumpster in Chicago. • It’s main purpose is to spread awareness about the Safe

Havens, and stop unsafe abandonments of babies.http://saveabandonedbabies.org/index.html

Save Abandoned Babies Foundation

• It is illegal to abandon a newborn or child, drop boxes or safe havens are a way of preventing parents from leaving their child alone in the middle of nowhere.• Terminates parental rights of birth parents.• Who will fun child’s medical needs ?

Political Issues

Sources • http://safehavenlaws.uslegal.com• http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/14/nebraska.safe.haven/index.ht

ml?eref=onion• http://saveabandonedbabies.org/index.html• http://aia.berkeley.edu/media/pdf/abandoned_infant_fact_sheet_2

005.pdf• http://thefederalist.com/2015/03/16/the-drop-box-where-disabled

-babies-go-to-live/

• http://www.faithit.com/baby-box-rescue-seoul-south-korea-brave-pastor-disabilities/

• http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6910832• https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/safehaven.pdf• http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/baby

-box

• http://fox43.com/2015/02/27/drop-boxes-for-unwanted-babies/