Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the first time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn. This most recent safe surrender occurred on May 20, 2011 at a hospital in West Covina.
The mother gave birth to the baby girl at the hospital and asked to surrender her newborn infant. As is standard practice, the baby girl is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.
“This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby girl has a long life ahead of her,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.”
This is the first Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2011, and the 84th since the program began ten years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.