STOCKTON – The recent abandoned baby in Stockton was thankfully saved by the quick actions of local residents. San Joaquin County would like to prevent these close calls from occurring in the future. Since 2006, there has been a Safely Surrendered Baby Program in the State of California which was created in response to the increasing number of newborn infant deaths due to abandonment in unsafe locations. The Safely Surrendered Baby Law does the following:

• Permits the parent(s) or other person with lawful custody to safely and confidentially surrender a baby;
• Provides a safe place for babies;
• Protects the parent(s) or other person with lawful custody from prosecution for child abandonment;
• Does not require that names be given when the baby is surrendered;
• Allows the parent(s) or other person with lawful custody 14 days to change their mind.

“In San Joaquin County, any hospital can be used as a safe surrender site and there are a number of fire stations that are available locally as a place where infants can be surrendered safely and anonymously,” said San Joaquin County Administrator, Monica Nino. “It is a matter of life or death for us to get the word out that it’s illegal to abandon a baby in an unsafe place. However, safely surrendering their infant at a designated site is confidential, has no legal penalties and is the safest option for the baby.”

If you or someone you know is considering abandoning a newborn please let them know about the Safely Surrender program which allows a person to:

• Take the baby to an employee at a hospital or other safely surrender site (usually fire stations).
• State that you would like to safely surrender the baby.
• The employee will give you and the baby matching ID bracelets. This will help reconnect with the baby if you change your mind.

CLICK HERE for San Joaquin County Designated Safely Surrendered Sites

Click here for a link to the Safely Surrender Program brochure from the California Department of Social Services.

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