Safely Surrendered Baby
No Shame, No Blame, No Names.
The Safely Surrendered Baby Law responds to the increasing number of newborn infant deaths due to abandonment in unsafe locations. First created in January 2001, the Safely Surrendered Baby Law was signed permanently into state law in January 2006. The law’s intent is to save lives of newborn infants at risk of abandonment by encouraging parents or persons with lawful custody to safely surrender the infant within 72 hours of birth, with no questions asked.
The Safely Surrendered Baby law provides a safe alternative to abandonment of a new born baby. The intent of the law is to provide freedom from prosecution and maintenance of confidentiality for the individual safely surrendering a baby within 72 hours of birth to any fire station or emergency room in Kern County.
A statewide, toll-free hotline (1-877-BABYSAF) or (1-877-222-9723) provides safe surrender baby site locations throughout the state.
THERE IS AN OPTION. DON’T ABANDON YOUR BABY.
Safe surrender sites are required to display the blue and white logo to the right.
Although a person surrendering a baby under the Safely Surrendered Baby Law will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire, the form is optional and is intended solely for the purpose of collecting medical information critical to the health and survival of the child. Any information that may identify the person surrendering the baby will be removed in order to maintain that person’s confidentiality.
Resources:
- Kern County Fire Station Locator
- Bakersfield Fire Station Locator
- Kern County Emergency Room Locator
- Safe Surrender Logo
- Safe Surrender Baby Law
- Safely Surrendered Baby Brochure
- Safely Surrendered Baby in Kern County
- Safely Surrendered Baby Law Fast Facts
- Safely Surrendered Baby Campaign Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- En Español:
- Datos básicos acerca de la ley sobre cómo entregar a un bebé sin ningún peligro
- Cómo entregar sin peligro a un bebé
- Safely Surrendered Baby Brochure (Spanish)
- SSB County Letters and Notices
- ACIN I-88-10 (11/02/2010) – SSB Definition, Intake and Data Entry
- ACIN I-19-10 (03/29/2010) – SSB Statewide Hotline
- ACIN I-46-06 (07/10/2006) – SSB Outreach Publications
- ACIN I-16-04 (08/02/2004) – SSB Law Updates
- ACIN I-57-03 (09/17/2003) – SSB Law and Hospitals
- ACIN I-68-02 (09/20/2002) – Announces SSB Outreach Publications
- ACIN I-66-02 (09/18/2002) – Reminder of Reporting Requirements for Safely Surrendered Babies
- ACL 02-01 (01/12/2001) – Introduces SSB Law