In response to apparently rare but highly publicized instances in which infants have been abandoned and sometimes left to die, every state, beginning with Texas in 1999, has enacted a provision intended to provide a safe and confidential means of relinquishing an unwanted infant. These infant abandonment measures—also referred to as “safe haven” or “safe surrender” provisions—typically follow the Texas model and allow a parent or other specified party to relinquish an infant under certain circumstances without threat of prosecution for child abandonment. Variations include limits on an infant’s age (ranging from 72 hours to one year) and the places or personnel authorized to accept an infant (e.g., hospital emergency room staff or emergency services personnel [ESP], such as emergency medical technicians, firefighters or law enforcement officers). Some states explicitly guarantee parental anonymity; others require personnel accepting an infant to inquire into the infant’s medical history.
|
Infant Abandonment |
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|
STATE |
INFANT MAY BE RELINQUISHED UP TO A SPECIFIC AGE |
OTHERS MAY LEAVE INFANT |
PERSON LEAVING INFANT RETAINS ANONYMITY |
AUTHORIZED ACCEPTOR |
ACTIONS REQUIRED OF THE ACCEPTOR: |
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|
Provide ID Bracelet |
Request Medical Information |
Investigate If a 'Missing Child' |
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|
Alabama |
45 days |
|
|
ESP |
|
|
X |
|
Alaska |
21 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
X |
|
|
Arizona |
30 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
Arkansas |
30 days |
|
|
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
California |
72 hours |
|
X |
HCP, other |
X |
X |
|
|
Colorado |
72 hours |
|
|
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
Connecticut |
30 days |
X |
|
ESP, HCP |
X |
X |
|
|
Delaware |
14 days |
X |
X |
HCP |
X |
X |
X |
|
Dist. of Columbia |
14 days |
|
X |
HCP, other |
|
X |
|
|
Florida |
7 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
Georgia |
30 days |
|
|
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
Hawaii |
72 hours |
X |
|
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
X |
|
Idaho† |
30 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
Illinois |
30 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
Indiana |
30 days |
|
X |
ESP |
|
|
X |
|
Iowa† |
90 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
Kansas |
45 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
|
|
Kentucky |
30 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
X |
|
|
Louisiana† |
60 days |
|
|
ESP, HCP, other |
|
X |
X |
|
Maine |
31 days |
X |
|
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
Maryland |
10 days |
X |
|
HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
Massachusetts |
7 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
|
|
Michigan |
72 hours |
|
|
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
X |
|
Minnesota† |
7days |
X |
X |
ESP, hcp |
|
|
|
|
Mississippi |
7 days |
|
X |
ESP |
|
|
|
|
Missouri |
45 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
Montana |
30 days |
|
|
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
X |
|
Nebraska |
30 days |
X |
|
HCP |
|
|
|
|
Nevada† |
30 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
New Hampshire |
7 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
New Jersey |
30 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
New Mexico |
90 days |
X |
X |
HCP, ESP |
|
|
|
|
New York† |
30 days |
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
North Carolina |
7 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
North Dakota |
1 year |
X |
X |
HCP |
X |
X |
|
|
Ohio |
72 hours |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
|
|
Oklahoma |
7 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
X |
|
Oregon |
30 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
Pennsylvania |
28 days |
|
|
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
Rhode Island |
30 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
South Carolina |
60 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
X |
|
South Dakota |
60 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
Tennessee |
72 hours |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
|
|
Texas |
60 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
X |
|
Utah |
30 days |
X |
X |
HCP |
|
|
X |
|
Vermont |
30 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
Virginia |
30 days |
|
|
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
Washington |
72 hours |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
X |
|
|
West Virginia |
30 days |
|
X |
ESP, HCP |
|
|
|
|
Wisconsin |
72 hours |
|
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
|
|
Wyoming |
14 days |
X |
X |
ESP, HCP, other |
|
|
X |
|
TOTAL |
50+DC |
19 |
35+DC |
50+DC |
4 |
16+DC |
19 |
|
† Allows a parent to relinquish an infant at an authorized place without personnel being present, as long as the parent notifies personnel of the infant's location. |
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