Latest news with #BabyMosesLaw
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas' Baby Moses Law legislates a safe surrender
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)- On June 19th, 1999 then Governor George W. Bush signed the Safe Haven Law, also known as the Baby Moses Law, making Texas the first in the nation to enact legislation that protects parents from some legal ramifications in the event they feel they cannot properly care for their infant child that is 60 days old or younger, and must surrender them to the proper authorities. That law was aimed at lowering the amount of infants that were illegally abandoned or in extreme cases, left to die. Abilene Attorney at Law Brandi Young of Keith & Lorfing Law Firm says the firm has had occasions of representing those that find themselves in legal trouble for infant surrender situations, explaining what exactly some of those parents or guardians might be going through. 'What we see a lot of times, I think on the news, are very vulnerable women giving birth to children in not hospital settings, not knowing what to do. You know, unfortunately, we see babies that are left in unsafe conditions, maybe don't get the medical care that they need or care that they need. Our legislators saw that, you know, we are not protecting our most vulnerable, our newborn children,' Young said. Authored and introduced by former Texas State Representative Geanie Morrison, the Baby Moses Law removed some of that fear of surrender for parents that felt they could not provide for their infant child. In 2023, the law was revised to allow for that surrender to a dedicated emergency response infant care provider to be anonymous as well. 'Fear of judgement, fear of prosecution, fear of going to jail whatever the fears may be were stopping some of those parents, some of those mothers from taking the child to a hospital, taking the child to a fire station, taking the child to EMS…admitting and accepting that I can't care for this newborn, but I'm going to do the best for him or her is really the best gift that any parent or guardian could give their child,' said Young. The implementation of Safe Haven Baby boxes take that mission a step further, by allowing the parent or guardian to surrender their infant in a temperature controlled environment that will notify the proper care professional immediately so that the child can be retrieved without the guardian having to come face to face with that care professional, further removing fear of judgment that might keep the guardian from surrendering their child safely. 'Particularly here in the Big Country, we want to support that and we want to give absolutely every chance to those newborn that they can have to know that we're here, not to judge, not to second guess, candidly, not even really try to figure out why. But we want you to know you've got options,' Young expressed. Local pro-life nonprofit raises $20k to install safe haven box in Abilene for anonymous infant surrender Today all 50 states including the Puerto Rico and the District of Colombia have Safe Haven laws on the books. The first Baby Box in Texas was installed in Abilene just one year ago at Abilene Fire Station 7, 431 N Pioneer Drive. Subsequently 5 other baby boxes have been installed around the state with two in the Lubbock Area. Corsicana, Palestine, and Conroe each having one. Abilene becomes 1st in Texas to host anonymous program for parents to surrender infants: Safe Haven Baby Box Since 2017 nearly 60 infants in the US have been surrendered by baby box. In addition, the National Safe Haven Crisis line has helped with more that 150 In-person surrenders. That hotline can be reached by dialing 1-866-992-2291 (BABY1). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB -
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Newborn baby surrendered by parents at Garland fire station
The Brief Garland police say a couple went to the North Garland Fire Station on Thursday evening and surrendered their newborn baby. The baby was checked out at a hospital and was found to be in perfect health. The mother is also said to be doing well. Since the baby met all the criteria for the Texas Safe Haven Law, the parents will not face any criminal charges. GARLAND, Texas - Parents of a newborn baby surrendered their infant at a Garland fire station. What we know Garland police say on Thursday around 5:45 p.m. a couple went to the North Garland Fire Station to give up their baby. Paramedics took the baby and its mother to a hospital and found the newborn to be in perfect health. The mother is also said to be doing well and is stable. The parents are not facing any criminal charges. What they're saying Garland police are commending the parents for making the tough decision to safely and legally give up their infant. Police say it's a critical reminder of the resources and support available for parents facing difficult life circumstances. "We want to reassure parents that they have a legal and safe option to bring their newborn to a designated Safe Haven location," said Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan. "This ensures the baby receives immediate care and the opportunity for a safe future." What we don't know We don't know how old the baby was, but the Texas Safe Haven Law criteria require the baby to be 60 days old or younger. It's unclear why the parents had to surrender their baby. However, no explanation needs to be given under the Safe Haven Law. Since the parents are not facing any criminal charges, their names were not released. Dig deeper Established in 1999, the Texas Safe Haven Law (also known as the Baby Moses Law) allows parents to legally surrender a newborn baby as long as they're 60 days old or younger and are unharmed and safe. The infant must be dropped off at a Safe Haven location, like fire stations, hospitals or EMS stations. While a mother may voluntarily provide some information about why the baby is being surrendered, no explanation is legally required. A flyer from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) explaining the law states, "No questions asked. No Police. No Prosecution." Once the baby is medically cleared, DFPS will take custody of the newborn. More info can be found here: The Source Information in this article comes from the Garland Police Department, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and the Baby Moses Project.
