Following yesterday’s discovery of an abandoned, deceased newborn in South El Monte, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is reminding residents about the County’s Safe Surrender program.
“Appalling tragedies like what occurred in the South El Monte yesterday are stark reminders to mothers in desperate situations that there is always a choice for their baby,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Sadly, the first newborn abandonment of 2013 comes at a time when we are preparing to launch a campaign refresh of our Safe Surrender materials. The Safe Surrender program was created to give a mother, no matter what the situation, a safe, secure and anonymous way to get her child into safe hands—at any fire station or hospital, any time—and to protect a baby from abandonment: No shame, No blame, and No names. Though 107 lives have been saved by the Safe Surrender program, yesterday’s disheartening news is proof that we have much more work to do.”
Established by Supervisor Knabe in 2001, the Safe Surrender program allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially handover an infant, three days old or younger, to any hospital emergency room or fire station in Los Angeles County. As long as the baby has not been abused or neglected, the person may surrender the baby without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment.
Since the program began, 107 babies have been safely surrendered in Los Angeles County, including four this year. The multilingual Safe Surrender Hotline, 1-877-BABY-SAFE, is available 24-hours a day for more information and the location of the nearest Safe Surrender site. Safe Surrender sites can also be found by calling the County helpline at 211 or by visiting www.babysafela.org.
To learn more about the Safe Surrender program, visit http://youtu.be/_EGoPXD23G0.