Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the second time in less than a week with the report of a safely surrendered newborn. This most recent safe surrender occurred on January 15, 2012 at Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Station 68.
The mother surrendered her baby girl at the fire station at approximately 12:45 a.m., and the baby was brought to Cedars Sinai Medical Center. 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.
“I am very happy that we can celebrate the safe surrender of a newborn baby for the second time this week,” said Supervisor Knabe. “As word of the program spreads, mothers in desperate situations realize that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way to get a baby into safe hands, rather than abandonment or worse. Thanks to the Safe Surrender program, this baby girl has a second chance at life and hope for a bright future.”
This is the second Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2012, and the 90th 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.