Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the ninth time this year, and the second time this week, with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent safe surrender occurred on October 17, 2012 at a hospital in Inglewood.
A second newborn was also safely surrendered on October 11 at a hospital in Los Angeles. As is standard practice, the babies are in protective custody and will be placed with families approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.
“Thanks to the Safe Surrender program, these babies have a second chance at life and hope for bright futures,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I’m thankful that these mothers decided to surrender their babies, rather than put them in a harmful situation. As word spreads about the Program, mothers in desperate situations can make the right choice for their babies, because of Safe Surrender.”
These are the eighth and ninth Safe Surrenders in Los Angeles County in 2012, and the 97th and 98th since the program began over 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.