Can you leave a baby in front of a fire station?

St. George Fire Station Headquarters is known as a safe baby site, meaning parents can anonymously surrender their babies as long as there’s no sign of abuse or neglect.

Is it illegal to leave a baby on a doorstep?

A mother left her hours-old baby on a doorstep of someone’s home. Every state has a Safe Haven law, which means there are ways for a person to safely relinquish a unharmed newborn baby without any risk of persecution.

What happens if you find a baby on your doorstep?

Any person who finds an abandoned child in the US must call the police and emergency services. The child will be taken to the hospital and then released to the care of Child Protective Services when medically clear. Attempts will be made to find the child’s parents and biological relatives.

Which states have safe haven laws?

Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Vermont. The safe haven provider is required to accept emergency protective custody of the infant and to provide any immediate medical care that the infant may require.

How many babies are abandoned each year in the US?

A federal study has found that at least 22,000 babies are left in hospitals each year by parents unwilling or unable to care for them, indicating for the first time how widespread the nation’s “boarder baby” problem has become.

Can you give a child away?

Yes, but if you relinquish the child to the state for no reason, you may have to still pay child support at a rate set by the government. Better to give a friend or relative guardianship, pay what you will for their maintenance, and move away.

What states have the baby safe haven law?

Is it legal to leave a baby outside a fire station?

No, you cannot leave a baby outside a fire station or police station. That would be abandonment and that is illegal as it would be unsafe to leave the baby on a doorstep, sidewalk or street exposed to the weather and possible abduction.

Where is it legal to abandon a newborn?

Commonly, hospitals, manned fire house, on duty police stations, church, adoption agencies, and health care providers are considered to be safe locations. However, newborn abandonment will be legal only if it is in accordance with the concerned state laws.

Where can I drop off my child under the safe haven law?

In order to drop the child off under the Safe Haven Law, you must drop them at a police department, fire station or any hospital. If a parent were to change their mind, they have 30 days after dropping off an infant to get their baby back from the state.

What is an affirmative defense to a child abandonment charge?

An affirmative defense offers less protection; it permits the state to prosecute the surrendering parent under a state’s child abandonment or other applicable law but allows the parent to raise her compliance with the safe surrender law as a defense in court.