The Safe Surrender Program, based on the statewide Safe Haven Law, was developed and championed by Supervisor Don Knabe and unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2001.
The purpose of Safe Surrender is to protect newborns from being hurt or killed because of abandonment. Safe Surrender allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially handover an infant, three days old or younger, to any hospital emergency room or other designated Safe Surrender site.
As long as the baby has not been abused or neglected, the person may surrender the baby without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment. As of June 2014, 118 newborns have been surrendered in Los Angeles County.