Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the third time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby boy. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Sunday, April 10 at a hospital in Santa Monica. A baby girl was also safely surrendered in Santa Monica on March 14. 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.
“I am thrilled to hear that a mother made the better choice and gave her son a second chance at life by safely surrendering him at the hospital,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Thanks to the courage of this mother, a baby boy now has the opportunity to grow up in a loving family. Though we’ve been able to save the lives of 145 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers 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 third Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2016, and the 145th 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.