DES MOINES – Two babies were surrendered to authorities in March, thanks to a law on the Iowa books giving caretakers an option to leave a baby where they can be safe.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said that in March, a baby girl and a baby boys, both just days old, were surrendered to authorities. Both will be in foster care and up for adoption.
More than 60 babies have been left under Iowa’s Safe Haven Law since enacted in 2002. This absolves a caretaker or a parent of most all responsibility for the child, so there is no fear of prosecution. The law was enacted to help stop person’s from darker alternatives to simply giving the baby away. The law allows parents in crisis who determine they cannot care for an infant to be able to surrender their child up to 90 days old at designated sites like hospitals and fire stations. The surrendering parents are then protected from prosecution for abandonment.
Last year, 10 infants were left to authorities. Just two have been left so far in 2024.
