June 26, 2006          PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dawn Geras, Save Abandoned Babies Foundation (312) 440-0229


 

“Safe Haven Law Becomes Safer”

 

Chicago, IL - Two bills were signed into law today that will help significantly to improve Illinois' Safe Haven law.

Senate bill 2913 extends the Newborn Infant Protection Act to allow infants who are 7 days old or less to be accepted at Safe Havens instead of 3 days. The second, Senate Bill 2455, amends the Comprehensive Health Education Program to require teaching pupils about the Safe Haven law.

The Safe Haven law allows parents who feel they cannot keep a newborn baby, to safely relinquish the unharmed infant to a staff person at a hospital, police or fire station. The parent can walk away with no questions asked with no fear of prosecution.

Dawn Geras, President of the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation is hopeful that these changes will help to save the lives of more babies. Geras says, “Educating the public about the existence of this life saving law is crucial. If people don't know the law exists, how can they be expected to use it?  This law not only saves the lives of these precious babies but also saves the parents from potential criminal charges.”

Since the Safe Haven law went into effect in August of 2001, there have been 25 babies safely relinquished. Sadly, during that time there were 42 illegal abandonments, with half of them found dead. The most recent case was Saturday night when a baby girl was found under a porch on Chicago's south side.