Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the 13th time in 2012 with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby boy. This most recent safe surrender occurred on Christmas Eve at a hospital in Valencia.
As is standard practice, the newborn is 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, this baby has a second chance at life and hope for bright a future,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I’m thankful that this mother decided to surrender her baby, rather than put her 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.”
This is the 13th Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2012, and the 103rd since the program began over eleven 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.