For most, a newborn is a tremendous blessing. For others, it’s an impossible responsibility. To help anyone faced with an unwanted baby and to prevent a newborn from being abandoned, the state passed a law in 2001 to allow anyone to anonymously leave their infant at any fire station or emergency room in California. Called the Safely Surrender Baby Law, it has saved the lives of nine infants in Ventura County, according to Bill Nash, spokesperson for the county fire department. The baby must be less than 72 hours old and free of abuse or neglect. When the baby is surrendered, a coded bracelet is given to the parent or guardian, and a matching bracelet is given to the child. The parent or guardian has 14 days to reclaim the baby. The parent can also fill out an optional questionnaire to provide medical information about the baby. After a medical examination, the child is sent to an emergency room for further care and is then placed in the child welfare system. Nash said the law is critical. He pointed to an incident in 2012, when a baby was found dead in a strawberry field between Camarillo and Oxnard. If more people had known about the law, Nash said, the infant could have been saved. A total of 621 babies have been safely surrendered as of March 31, 2014, according to Michael Weston, spokesperson for the California Department of Social Services. The last of the nine surrendered in Ventura County thus far was in 2009 at Fire Station 23 in Oak View. Weston said the key to the law’s success is that it allows someone to anonymously hand over a baby to a public health official, which allows for a trained medical professional to care for the child. “You have to physically hand the child to someone,” Weston said. “You can’t drop it on the door and ring the bell or yell real loud or anything like that.” And, he said, the 14 days gives a parent a chance to reflect on their decision. “It allows them a chance and some time to think about the decision that they made, but at the same time still allowing the child to be at a safe location and properly cared for,” Weston said. Usually, Nash said, someone facing this type of decision doesn’t have time to stop and look at their options, so it’s important to raise awareness. There’s also the social stigma associated with abandoning a baby to a stranger. That’s why it’s so important to remind residents of the law, Nash said. He doesn’t want another child left abandoned in the county. “It’s tough to get that word out because these young mothers aren’t the kind that are going to look around websites figuring out what to do,” Nash said. “We don’t mind talking about this at all. It’s a good program, and it saves little tiny lives.”
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 13:00:01 +0000
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