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SAFELY SURRENDERED BABY LAW The Safely Surrendered Baby Law, signed by Governor Davis in September 2000, went into effect on January 1, 2001. The purpose of the Law is to protect newborn babies from being injured, hurt or killed because they were abandoned. The Law allows a parent or other persons, with lawful custody, which means anyone to whom the parent has given permission to confidentially surrender a baby, three days (72 hours) old or younger, to any hospital or other site designated by the Board of Supervisors. In Los Angeles County all non-volunteer fire stations have been designated as Safe Surrender Sites. As long as the baby has not been abused or neglected, an individual may surrender the baby without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment. In June 2002 and March 2005, the Board of Supervisors approved a series of recommendations to implement the Safely Surrendered Baby Law in the County and enhance public information and outreach efforts. Implementation of the Law in the County has been the result of a broad collaborative effort including the Board of Supervisors, County departments, Interagency Council on Abuse and Neglect (ICAN), Children’s Planning Council (CPC), First 5 LA, cities, and community-based providers. To view the Board recommendations, please access the links below: For information on the status of the March 2005 recommendations, please access the link below to view the most recent status reports: For more information, please visit the County’s web page on the Safely Surrendered Baby Law: http://www.babysafela.org Contact us Lorena Bautista
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