Iowa Department of Human Services spokesman, Roger Munns says a baby was turned over to the state last Thursday under the safe haven law. Munns says the newborn baby was brought to the hospital about three hours after the baby was born at home, and the mother told hospital officials she didn’t want the baby.
Munns says it is the 13th baby dropped off since the safe haven law went into effect in July of 2001. Munns says the child is doing well. He says the child was healthy and was released to state custody this weekend and is already in an approved adoptive home.
Munns says the next step is a hearing to terminate parental rights, he says all of the 12 previous safe haven babies were successfully adopted. Munns says it’s the second safe haven baby this year, and says it’s a good news story, but says the recommend way to deal with the pregnancy is to get the proper pre-natal care and arrange an adoption yourself. Munns says if all other options fail, the safe haven law gives you an option.
Munns says the location where the babies are dropped off and other information is kept confidential. Munns says the law guarantees anonymity for the parents and the child so people can be assured that their names are not leaked out. The safe have law was passed by the Legislature after a high-profile case in 2001 involving a teen-aged girl in eastern Iowa who killed her home-delivered newborn.