Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success this week with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Monday, March 7 at a hospital in Los Angeles.
As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.
“Following the abandonment of a baby in West Covina, and the discovery of a deceased baby in Long Beach, I am thrilled that this mother made the better choice and safely surrendered her baby,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Thanks to this mother’s courage, a baby girl now has a second chance at life and the opportunity to grow up in a loving family. Though we’ve been able to save the lives of 143 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers, who find themselves in a desperate situation, to get their baby into safe hands-at any fire station or hospital, any time-and protect them from abandonment-No Shame. No Blame. No Names.”
This is the first Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2016, and the 143rd since the program began 15 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.
To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.