Safe-haven law

Leaders with He Knows Your Name Ministry gathered to remember baby Haven Grace Hope at her grave site at Washington Park East Cemetery in Indianapolis yesterday morning.

Indiana's Safe Haven law first passed 26 years ago.

It allows someone to surrender their baby without fear of arrest or prosecution.

State Representative Julie McGuire plans to introduce new legislation in 2027 to teach about the Safe Haven law here in Indiana at middle schools and high schools.

Students must learn about the Safe Haven law.

They need to understand that safe surrender is legal, and it's a compassionate alternative to abandonment, one that can protect a baby's life and provide a pathway to adoption.

The gathering included a blessing at baby Haven's headstone and recognizing four other abandoned babies.

Child Protective Services working right now on finding a home for adoption.

This is legal in Wisconsin due to Wisconsin's Safe Haven Law.

That was originally passed in 2001.

It was updated just last year.

Yes.

So ultimately then they're looking for an adoptive family for this child.

Now, Wis- while Wisconsin's Safe Haven law applies statewide, you said you could abandon your child with a, a law enforcement officer or at a hospital or whatever.

We only have a handful of these Safe Haven baby boxes.

This is legal.

Due to Wisconsin's Safe Haven Law, it was originally passed in 2001, updated just last year.

The Safe Haven Law in Wisconsin reads, in part, allows a parent to leave their unharmed newborn under 30 days old anonymously and without fear of prosecution in a newborn infant safety device as defined in, and it gives the statute, or with a law enforcement officer, emergency medical services practitioner, hospital staff member, without fear of legal consequences.

If you do not indicate that you will be back for your child, this is called safe haven or newborn relinquishment.

In the case of a child who may be older than 30 days or a child who may be injured in some way, there are additional reporting requirements, and it goes into that further in the law.