Our Story
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The National Safe Haven Alliance (NSHA) supports state efforts to prevent infanticide and newborn abandonment through safe-haven relinquishments. NSHA is dedicated to reaching these women and encouraging them to make the right choice for themselves and their babies, whether it is a safe-haven relinquishment, adoption, or parenting.
The National Safe Haven Alliance works to publicize safe havens laws so at-risk women know that this compassionate alternative exists for them and their newborns.
National Safe Haven Alliance Projects:
To achieve its mission of promoting infant abandonment laws and to support state efforts to prevent infanticide, the National Safe Haven Alliance has created the following: celebrity-endorsed public-service announcements; a crisis counseling hotline; customizable brochures, posters, and educational materials; a speakers' bureau; expert training on building safe-haven programs; an up-to-date compilation of safe-haven statistics, state laws, and safe-haven organizations and programs; media outreach; websites for state organizations.
Sign Project
In addition, NSHA is in the process of installing signs at hospitals across the United States that identify them as "Safe Haven Locations" where babies can be safely relinquished.
Mothers in Need
NSHA has also spent the last year developing a small fund to assist mothers in need who may utilize the Safe Haven program.
State Organizations
NSHA is in the process of helping set up state organizations in areas with no local Safe Haven offices. If you're interested in helping with this, please contact us at (571) 228-7757.
BABY SAFE HAVEN - ABANDONED INFANT PROTECTION LAWS
About Safe Haven Laws:
Every state has a law in place to allow an unharmed infant to be relinquished to the proper authorities, no questions asked. The National Safe Haven Alliance works with states to promote these laws and increase public awareness that options exist. Together, the Alliance and states work together to save the lives of innocent infants and to protect the lives of their mothers.
Since the first safe-haven law was enacted in Texas in 1999, all U.S. states and the District of Columbia have passed safe-haven legislation, and every state has reported lives saved through the existence of these laws. Due to less-than-perfect-reporting methods, we are unsure of the exact number but know that in the past decade, these laws have saved well over 1,000 infants.
The Problem:
The late 1990s had a surge in infant abandonments, many resulting in the death of these innocent babies. In response to these incidents, a movement erupted to allow parents to relinquish custody of unharmed newborn infants without fear of prosecution. At the time, parents risked criminal prosecution for neglect or abandonment.
The Solution
"Baby Safe Haven" laws or infant abandonment laws were created to remove the potential for prosecution so long as children were given unharmed and given to proper authorities. Since the first law was adopted in Texas in 1999, each state across the US has enacted a Safe Haven law. While each state's law is different, they all ensure the safety of newborn infants and the protection of parents who decide to properly relinquish their child.
Today
Safe Haven laws have been remarkably successful. Unfortunately, babies are still illegally and unsafely abandoned, in part because women do not know that they have another option. It is important that these laws are widely promoted and that women in need are informed that they are not alone.
