Newborn baby turned in under Safe Surrender program

[The Straight Story]

Newborn baby turned in under Safe Surrender program

A tiny life was saved this morning in Oildale. A newborn baby was turned over to Kern County Firefighter under what is called the "Safe Surrender Program" at an Oildale fire station.

Fire crews say a woman knocked on the door at about 3:30 a.m. Friday and handed over a baby boy who appeared to be about one hour old.

Fire stations and hospitals are placed where newborn babies can be taken under current state law, no questions are asked and no one faces any criminal charges.

In this morning's case, officials say they followed the legal procedures and checked over the baby. Fire engineer Bill Steers tells Eyewitness News, their first concern is making sure the baby is okay.

The firemen say the woman who dropped off the baby said she was "not" the mother, but the mother is okay. After checking the baby he was taken to Memorial Hospital. Under the Safe Surrender law, any baby less than 3 days old can be surrendered.

http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/9089676.html

[Elspeth]

1. This is a good way to handle it.

:kick:

[Warpy]

3. It's the most compassionate way to handle it

especially when the mom is young and in shock, denying her pregnancy until the baby came.

The alternative was another baby thrown away and another young woman in prison.

[Bunny]

2. It's good to see something like this work.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. This is good

I don't see how even the right to lifers can object--the child is made safe, the mother,who is probably troubled and confused, is able to get out of a situation she doesn't know how to handle.

[glowing]

5. Sad that a mother had to give up a 1 yr old....

Wehere were the crusaders making sure everything was ok with mother to provide for the child?

[Beaverhausen]

6. This baby was one HOUR old, not a year old

[alphafemale]

7. This is good. But are there safeguards to ensure the mother wanted to hand over the baby?

And that someone's not making this choice for her?

[The Straight Story]

8. She has 14 days to change her mind (nt)

[BlueJazz]

9. There's an 8 year old "Little Terror" that lives across the street from me.

Ah...You think his parents would mind if I turned him in??

[karlrschneider]

12. Turn him in. Into a toad!

:rofl:

[karlrschneider]

10. That's a good thing...a program that actually works. I wonder how widely its existance is known.

And why it isn't implemented everywhere...

[AlCzervik]

13. we have billboards in Ca. not 100's of them but there are some and the local

news is good about mentioning it as well.

[karlrschneider]

16. That's good. We in Oklahoma have a similar program but I think a lot of people are unaware

of it. Maybe I'm wrong, but there are quite a few reports of babies in dumpsters. It's so sad.

[MissB]

11. Good. Better than being left in the dumpster.

[KamaAina]

14. HI just became the 48th state to adopt "safe havens"

no thanks to our repuke governor, who vetoed the bill :grr: only to have it overridden by our overwhelmingly Dem legislature.

Don't know who the two remaining holdouts are. Sheesh. Get with the program, already.

[tammywammy]

15. We have this in Texas too

It's been a while since I've heard of a baby dumping story (as in baby dumped in dumpster). There are signs posted at places where you can leave a newborn. It's a good law.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

17. I'm sure "pro-lifers" left the nearest Planned Parenthood protest....

....and rushed over to adopt the baby as soon as they heard the news. :sarcasm:

[glowing]

18. If the baby was white, I'm sure they did.

[spacelady]

19. This program was started in Mobile Alabama & it has been

a very positive thing. However, just a few weeks ago a young mother claimed to have given her baby to an adoption agency but changed her mind & wanted the baby back but could not locate her. Well, she eventually confessed to killing child & putting her in a dumpster. This baby was not eligible for Secret Safe Place since she was a month old...:(