A newborn girl has become the 46th baby handed over under the Safe Surrender Program, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced this morning.
The two-day-old baby girl was safely surrendered Saturday, October 7 at County Fire Station 154 in the City of Covina. Firefighters at the station reported that the mother brought the baby in herself and remained at the station while paperwork and a health check were completed. Saturday’s surrender is the tenth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2006 and the 46th since the program began in 2001. Earlier in the year, a newborn was safely surrendered at nearby Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina on May 12, 2006.
The Safe Surrender Program in Los Angeles County was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2002. It allows a mother or someone designated by the mother to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant is healthy and shows no signs of neglect.
This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby girl has a long life ahead of her, said Supervisor Knabe. I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.
As is standard practice, the newborn girl will be immediately placed in protective custody by the Department of Children and Family Services and placed with a foster adoptive family.