It's been 16 years since Connecticut passed its Safe Haven law to protect newborns. The state Department of Children and Families says in that time, 27 babies have been brought to local hospitals.
Connecticut's Safe Haven law allows mothers to go to any local hospital and give up their infants within 30 days of their birth without fear of prosecution. Despite the law, two women have been charged in the deaths of their newborns after the babies were found abandoned.
Preventing that kind of crisis is why the law exists, said Dr. Steven Wolf, Chairman of the Emergency Department at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. "Basically right after birth, and shortly thereafter, and the desperation that the mother then feels because they don't feel like they have any alternatives," Wolf said.
When a mother brings her newborn to a hospital to give the baby up, she meets with a nurse and is given information on her rights and how to contact the Department of Children and Families which will assume custody. At this critical time, she doesn't have to give any identifying information.
Just this past January, St. Francis Hospital accepted a Safe Haven baby. Patti LaMonica is registered nurse and Executive Director of Emergency Medicine at St. Francis. She said a woman and baby are given matching bracelets just in case the mother has a change of heart.
"?And I think the identifying bracelet is great because it allows them some breathing space," LaMonica said.
Within 24 hours after the infant is left at a hospital, DCF is notified and it takes custody of the baby. Anonymity is a key part of the law -- to encourage a mother not to abandon the infant anywhere. But if there is contact info, DCF is required to contact the mother about any hearings to terminate parental rights.
Wolf said the state used to spend money on billboards and other advertising to get the word out about the Safe Haven law. But with recent budget deficits, hospitals have been asked to promote the law on their own.
Wolf suggested social media as one way to increase awareness. LaMonica said other healthcare settings and schools should also have information on hand about the Safe Haven law.
