SUPPORTING ABANDONED BABY LEGISLATION-HB2913 AND HB 4696
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| The "Safe Haven" law was passed in 2001. This allows a parent to abandon their child at a hospital, fire station, police station or emergency medical facility. Since the law was enacted 20 newborns have been safely abandoned.
SPONSORS: Senator Donne Trotter & Representative Beth Coulson
- Senate Bill 2913 introduced by Senator Donne Trotter (D/Chicago) seeks to amend the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act to allow safe havens to accept newborn infants up to 7 days old. The current law limits eligibility to infants 3 days old and younger.
- Senate Bill 2455 introduced by Senator Donne Trotter (D/Chicago) and House Bill 4696 sponsored by Representative Beth Coulson (R/Glenview) seek to expand the teaching of the Illinois Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act in schools, from the current requirement of being taught in sex education classes, to be included in all health education classes.
BACKGROUND ·The “Safe Haven” law provides that a parent-who might otherwise abandon their child in an unsafe place-can bring their unharmed newborn to a “safe haven” (a hospital, staffed fire station, police station, or emergency medical facility). Police stations were added to this list in 2004.
The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act or “Safe Haven” law was enacted to address two important issues:
1. To significantly reduce the risk that a newborn would be abandoned in a perilous environment that could result in death; and,
2. To protect parents who felt they had no option other than abandonment, but who compassionately delivered their newborn to a safe shelter. “SAFE HAVENS” & ILLINOIS-Illinois’ current law, which received a wide variety of endorsements from child advocacy groups, fire departments, child health and welfare organizations and hospitals, and was unanimously passed by the General Assembly in 2001, provides that a parent who relinquishes an unharmed newborn, three days old or younger, to one of these “safe places” has the option of remaining anonymous and will not be prosecuted for abandonment.
· In 2003, a second law, HB 2298, was enacted requiring public schools to include Illinois’ Safe Haven law in the sex education curriculum.
· Since the law was passed in 2001, 20 newborns have been safely relinquished. Unfortunately, 40 other infants were unsafely abandoned. Of those, 21 were found dead and 20 were found alive, nine of which died.
RECOMMENDATION
- Support SB 2913 to allow ‘safe havens’ to accept newborns up to 7 days old.
- Support HB 4696 & SB 2455 to provide expand education and outreach to increase placement of newborns in “safe havens.”
For more information go to http://www.saveabandonedbabies.org/ or contact Jennie Pinkwater, March of Dimes Coordinator of Public Affairs at 312-596-4709 or via email at jpinkwater@marchofdimes.com
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