Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the seventh time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent safe surrender occurred on September 30, 2013 at a hospital in Lancaster.
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.
“Last week, we launched a new Safe Surrender outreach campaign with a message to desperate mothers that ‘there is a better choice,’” said Supervisor Knabe. “This mother made the better choice by safely surrendering her baby at a hospital, and now her child has a chance to be part of a loving family. As word continues to spread about the Program, other moms in similar situations can make the right choice for their babies and themselves, because of Safe Surrender.”
This is the seventh Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2013, and the 110th since the program began over twelve 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.
The new Safe Surrender campaign expands the program’s outreach to communities across Los Angeles County by launching in multiple languages and relying on a mix of traditional and grassroots awareness efforts. The campaign includes billboards, posters, bumper stickers, brochures and a redesigned website.
To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.