KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana |Newborn left at Women's & Children's Hospital
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LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - A six day old boy was handed over to an employee of Women's and Children's Hospital on Nelson Rd. just after 3:00 am Wednesday.
Under the Louisiana Safe Haven Law, the woman who dropped off her child faces no charges.
It's been a month since the Department of Social Services (DSS) launched their public awareness campaign to educate new parents about Louisiana's Safe Haven law and this is the first case reported in Lake Charles.
DSS says the mother felt she could not care for her newborn and made the right choice early Wednesday morning when she placed her baby in the safe arms of a Lake Charles hospital worker.
They also say the 6-day-old baby boy is in good health.
DSS' Lake Charles Office of Community Services had received a call on Tuesday from someone inquiring about Louisiana's Safe Haven law. A call was later received at the hospital verifying that it was a Safe Haven site.
"I applaud this parent's decision to make the right choice in ensuring the safety of this newborn by using Louisiana's Safe Haven law," said DSS Secretary Kristy Nichols. "When faced with an incredibly difficult choice, the child's life was safeguarded, preventing needless harm to the baby and prosecution for the parent."
The Safe Haven law provides a legal means for parents to give up custody of unwanted infants without the threat of prosecution for neglect, abandonment or child cruelty.
Dawn Becton, Regional Director of the Office of Community Services said, "the Louisiana Safe Haven Law states that a parent can give up an unwanted new born without threat of prosecution of child endangerment or abandonment. They can give up an infant that is less than 31 days old at an emergency care facility."
She said the babies are often placed in an adoption program, but there are ways for parents to get their babies back.
"A parent can contact DSS to let them know that they are the parent that relinguished the child. And we can work with the parent to determine what's best in that particular situation," she said.
DSS launched its Safe Haven awareness campaign in February after the tragic death of an abandoned newborn in Kenner. Secretary Nichols has since conducted media interviews across the state. The agency has also developed a Web site, www.LouisianaSafeHaven.com, and created a presence on popular social networking sites, such as Facebook. The agency is also developing brochures, outdoor advertisements and radio and television commercials for the campaign.
According to the National Safe Haven Alliance, all 50 states have some form of Safe Haven provision.
For more information about the Safe Haven law, call 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373) or visit www.LouisianaSafeHaven.com.
