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JULY 6, 2010
Newborn Boy Safely Surrendered In Glendale
 Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success again with the report of another safely surrendered newborn. This most recent safe surrender occurred at a hospital in the City of Glendale.
The baby boy was born on June 30 and surrendered by his mother at a Glendale hospital on Friday, July 2. The baby is reported to be in good health. As is standard practice, the baby boy is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.
“This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby boy has a long life ahead of him,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.”
This is the third Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2010, and the 79th since the program began nine years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.
JUNE 18, 2010
Father’s Day at Paramount’s Fire Station 31
It was baby Marvin’s eight-month birthday recently when his parents took him to Los Angeles County Fire Station 31 in the City of Paramount to meet the station’s crew but that was not the real reason for their visit. Baby Marvin and his parents, Daniel, 26, and 29-year-old Marvin, domestic partners and adoptive parents to the baby, were there to officially thank the firefighters who found newborn Marvin abandoned last October outside the front door of the Paramount fire station curled up in a Reebok shoe box.
Marvin and his parents first gathered inside the station’s front office together with Assistant Chief Gerry Heinzel, Battalion Chief Dan Ertel, Fire Fighter Paramedic Phil Muller, Fire Fighter Jeramy Virgin, and Community Services Representative La Fonda Riggins. Virgin was the first to discover the baby last year when he peered into the box and found him lying inside, wrapped in a towel and seemingly healthy, with a five-inch umbilical cord, unclamped.
Fire Station 31 members were returning from a call on October 9, 2009, when they saw a young female dressed in a hooded pullover sweater at the station’s front door. She was there to surrender Marvin under California's Safely Surrendered Baby Law, they now know, but after parking rigs in the apparatus bay and walking out to the front door, they realized that she had departed and only the shoe box remained, which is considered to be an abandonment. The law requires the surrendering adult to physically hand the baby to firefighters on duty or to hospital staff if the baby is taken to a hospital.
Both of Marvin’s parents praised the firefighters and their own Los Angeles County social worker for going “beyond the call of duty,” as they described. “I am really proud of this fire station,” said Daniel, “and of our own L.A. County social worker for the way that we and Marvin have been treated.” Marvin’s doctors have declared him a fully healthy young baby boy. But for now at least, the firefighters were excited, the parents were gracious and Marvin was all smiles as the group gave thanks that a potentially tragic situation resulted in such a happy ending.
MAY 28, 2010
Newborn Girl Safely Surrendered At County Fire Station 41 In Unincorporated Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success again yesterday with the report of another safely surrendered newborn. This most recent safe surrender occurred at County Fire Station #41 in unincorporated Los Angeles.
The newborn female was surrendered at 4:58 p.m. on Thursday, May 27 at Fire Station #41, and is reported to be in good health. As is standard practice, the baby girl is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.
“This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby girl has a long life ahead of her,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.”
This is the second Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2010, and the 78th since the program began nine years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.
MARCH 3, 2010
Statement On Abandoned Newborn In Redondo Beach
Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement regarding today’s discovery of an abandoned, deceased newborn in a trash can in Redondo Beach:
“Tragedies like this do not have to happen in this County and in our communities. Since 2001, we have had a successful alternative in the Safe Surrender Program, which is designed to prevent abandonments and save precious lives. It provides a way for desperate parents to safely surrender their baby without fear of prosecution. Parents or family members can safely surrender their baby at any hospital and every fire station in Los Angeles County. The babies are given medical treatment and immediately placed in a loving foster or pre-adoptive home.”
“There is no shame, no blame, and no names. Don’t abandon your baby. You have a confidential choice. Bring your baby to any emergency room or fire station. Get your baby into safe hands. We will take care of the rest. No questions asked. The multilingual Safe Surrender Hotline, 1-877-BABY-SAFE, is available 24-hours a day for more information and the location of the nearest Safe Surrender site. Surrender sites can also be found by calling the County helpline at 211 or by visiting www.babysafela.org.”
76 Safe Surrenders have occurred Safe Surrender since the program began in 2001. The last surrender occurred in Pasadena in October 2009, and a total of seven newborns were surrendered last year. The last abandoned, deceased newborn was discovered in Pomona in April 2009. A total of two abandonments were discovered in Los Angeles County in 2009, down from a high of 14 the year the program was launched.
The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.
OCTOBER 6, 2009
Newborn Safely Surrendered At Pomona Hospital
Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success again recently with the report of another safely surrendered newborn. This most recent report of a safe surrender occurred at a hospital in the City of Pomona.
The newborn Caucasian male was surrendered on Friday, September 25 at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. The newborn is reported to be in good health. As is standard practice, the baby boy is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.
“This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby boy has a long life ahead of him,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.”
This is the sixth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2009, and the 75th since the program began eight years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.
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The Safe Surrender Program, based on the statewide Safe Haven Law, was developed and championed by Supervisor Don Knabe and unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2001.
The purpose of Safe Surrender is to protect newborns from being hurt or killed because of abandonment. Safe Surrender allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially handover an infant, three days old or younger, to any hospital emergency room or other designated Safe Surrender site.
As long as the baby has not been abused or neglected, the person may surrender the baby without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment. As of February 2009, 70 newborns have been surrendered in Los Angeles County. |
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Click on a dot on the map of Los Angeles County above to find out more information about each safe surrender.
