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| Knoxville Hospital
& Clinics Provides Safe Haven to Confused Young Mothers |
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The Safe
Haven Act is an Iowa law that allows parents, or another person who has the
parent's authorization, to leave an infant up to 14 days old at a hospital or
health care facility without the fear of being arrested or going to court. The
first state to pass a Safe Haven Act was Texas, in September 1999. Since then
five Texas mothers have used the law to surrender a child. The typical child
abandonment involves a young, unmarried healthy woman who is pregnant for the
first time, researchers say. Those women usually live with their parents and
are in severe denial of their pregnancies. Women who kill their babies usually
have made no plans for the birth or care of their children and receive no
prenatal care, researchers say. |
In the past, parents who abandoned their babies could face criminal
charges of abandonment or child endangerment. The purpose of the Safe Haven Act
is to encourage the dropping off of newborns in a safe place. It also provides
a place for young women to bring their babies if they find themselves confused
and unsure of what to do. By bringing their babies to a safe haven, they will
be safe and placed with a family who will love and care for them.
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics has been a safe haven since August
2001. When an infant is brought to Knoxville Hospital & Clinics and left in
the custody of a Knoxville Hospital & Clinics employee, they are to notify
the Department of Human Services and inform them that an infant was left in
their possession under the Safe Haven Act. The DHS will then take the necessary
steps to assume the care, control, and custody of the infant. |
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