08-05-2025
Baby boy safely surrendered at Murrells Inlet hospital under South Carolina's Daniel's Law
MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (WBTW) — A newborn baby was safely turned over to authorities on Monday at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet under South Carolina's Daniel's Law, which allows infants to be surrendered at designated locations.
The Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, known as Daniel's Law, was enacted in 2001 to prevent the dangerous abandonment of babies up to 60 days old.
The baby boy born on Sunday weighed 7 pounds, 4.4 ounces, and was 20.1 inches long, the state Department of Social Services said Thursday in a news release. Georgetown County DSS took custody of the child and placed him in a licensed foster home.
Under Daniel's Law, a person who abandons a newborn cannot be prosecuted for abandonment if he or she takes the baby to staff or an employee of a Safe Haven as defined in state law. Safe Havens are defined as a hospital or hospital outpatient facility, law enforcement agencies, fire stations, emergency medical services stations, or a house of worship during the time the church or synagogue is staffed.
A hearing to determine the long-term placement of the child is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 25 at the Georgetown County Family Court, the state DSS said.
For more information about the Safe Haven Act, please click here. For a listing of crisis pregnancy organizations, please see this brochure.
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Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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