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 baby girl. This most recent safe surrender occurred on February 10, 2013 at a hospital in Van Nuys.
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.
“After the horrifying news in December of a baby being found at a recycling center, I am relieved to hear that this newborn is safe and will be part of a loving family,” 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 and themselves, because of Safe Surrender.”
This is the first Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2013, and the 104th 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.