Faced with discarded babies being discovered at several
locations in the Santa Clara Valley, the county is forming a Safe
Haven Task Force to educate the public about a safe alternative to
abandonment known as the Safely Surrendered Baby Law.
Faced with discarded babies being discovered at several locations in the Santa Clara Valley, the county is forming a Safe Haven Task Force to educate the public about a safe alternative to abandonment known as the Safely Surrendered Baby Law.
“Because this is an issue that cuts across the board, in terms of socioeconomic factors, we will need a countywide coalition,” said District 4 Supervisor Jim Beall. “The group will be charged with developing and proposing an effective public education program targeted to a broad spectrum of females of childbearing age and their families.
“Our goal is the complete elimination of babies being abandoned in Santa Clara County.
During the past several weeks, three babies have been found abandoned, one alive and two dead, in Santa Clara County. The California Department of Social Services reports since the law went into effect in 2001, 56 infants have been safely surrendered and 98 babies were abandoned, but found alive.
Tragically, 24 babies were abandoned and found dead. The goal of the law is for all babies to be surrendered safely.
Under state law, a newborn infant three days old or less, who has not been injured or abused, may be taken to any hospital emergency room with no questions asked. The medical staff will examin the infant and contact the Social Services Agency to make arrangements for the care of the infant.
The law also provides 14-day cooling off period that allows the parent to reclaim the infant. The confidentiality of the mother will not be compromised.
Making an appeal to young expectant mothers who may have language barriers, or be unfamiliar with how to access services available in the county, Supervisor Blanca Alvarado said, “You are not alone. Our public health outreach workers will be reaching out to immigrant communities to make sure that they are aware not only of the safely surrendered baby law, but also that services are available to all mothers in need.”
While it is difficult to determine the reasons for abandonment, there are common factors in many abandonment cases. Women who ultimately abandon their infants often conceal or deny their pregnancy out of fear of discovery or fear of authority. In some cases, women have become pregnant through rape or sexual abuse.
Although these women can come from any economic, educational or ethnic background – the mothers have two things in common. They usually did not receive any prenatal care and do not give birth in a hospital or other medical environment.
The County Safe Haven Task Force, a broad-based group, will be comprised of representatives of child and women advocacy organizations, health and medical professionals, educators, emergency services personnel, social services and community outreach staff. The group is charged with developing and proposing an effective public awareness plan targeted primarily to females of childbearing age and their families.
“These women need to know that being unable to meet the challenge of caring for a newborn infant is not a crime, but harming their newborn infants or leaving their newborns infants alone somewhere is a crime. They have an alternative to living in fear of being found out, or living with the guilt of knowing that they did less than their absolute best for that newborn infant,” said Supervisor Liz Kniss “This is the message we want to impart There is a choice. There are alternatives. There are safe havens. This is a win/win for the mother and the infant.”
