Safe Surrender
There is an option – don’t abandon your baby.
If you are a parent unable or unwilling to care for a baby, you have options. The Safely Surrender Baby Law allows any parent or person with legal custody to safely give up a baby within three days of birth to any hospital or fire station. The parent may do so confidentially and without fear of prosecution.
No names are required or questions asked, although Fire District staff may ask the parent to fill out a questionnaire designed to gather medical history information helpful in caring for the child.
Surrendered babies are placed in Child Protective Services custody, given medical treatment to make sure they’re OK, and placed with a foster family, usually a pre-adoptive family who have been screened and approved to adopt a child.
At the time of the surrender, a bracelet is placed on the baby for identification purposes and a matching bracelet given to the parent in case the baby is reclaimed. A parent or person with legal custody has up to 14 days from the time of the surrender to reclaim a baby.
There is a State-wide toll free number for the hotline providing state-wide Safely Surrendered Baby site locations at 1-877 BABYSAF (877-222-9723). Written materials and additional information can be found at http://www.babysafe.ca.gov.
Ebbetts Pass Fire District Station 1 is a Safe Surrender Location (1037 Blagen Road, Arnold).