BABY SAFE HAVEN Fact Sheet

Background

• In the four years before the Safe Haven Act of Massachusetts took effect, thirteen babies were abandoned in the Commonwealth and six of them died.

• On October 29, 2004, the Act became effective and whittled the number of abandoned babies down to two.

The Safe Haven Act, which designates police and fire stations, as well as hospitals, as safe zones for parents to bring their newborns without fear of prosecution, has saved five babies to date.

To develop and coordinate statewide implementation of the Safe Haven Act, the Department of Social Services partnered by the Massachusetts Hospital Association, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, Fire Chiefs Association, District Attorneys Association, State Police and the Mayor’s Office of the City of Boston.

• The partnership crafted a Baby Safe Haven multimedia campaign that focuses on informing state residents about basic aspects of the Safe Haven Law.

• Radio, TV, billboards and transit posters were used to reach the target demographic of young women between the ages of 16 and 29.

• Site identification decals have been developed and are in the process of being systematically distributed to State Police barracks, local Police and Fire Departments with reliable 24 hour staffing and hospitals across the state that have around the clock acute care capacity.

• The website, BabySafeHaven.com and toll free telephone hotline went live on December 28, 2004.

  • Since its creation, the hotline has received almost 1,200 calls, averaging 50 calls per month.

  • The majority of callers have been female and nearly half of the callers are between 15 and 20 years old.

  • There are many reasons for hotline calls including requests for adoption information, general information about the Safe Haven as well as emotional or physical assistance.

An initial evaluation by the UMass Center for Adoption Research, completed in June, 2005 indicated that the efforts to educate the general public were generally working. In a statewide survey of 710 adults in Massachusetts, 64% of respondents were familiar with the Safe Haven law. Of those familiar with the law, most heard about it from the television campaign and nearly all could identify its general purpose.

H.B. 92 – An Act Relative to the Safe Placement of Newborn Infants

• Sunset Clause elimination – Massachusetts was the only state left in the country with a sunset clause on their Baby Safe Haven law.

• 911 emergency responders amendment:

  • New Hampshire wrote this into their bill that was passed three years ago. Nobody has used the 911 responders in NH in over 3 years.

  • Vermont went into effect in July of this year. Vermont copied the New Hampshire law. Nobody has used the 911 responders in the first 5 months of the new law.

• The 911 emergency responder amendment is intended to aid close to 50% of towns that don't have staffed 24/7 police or fire stations.

• Of these towns, almost all have a hospital emergency room that is at least ten miles away from their borders.

• The 911 emergency responder amendment won't increase the use of the law or make it easier to surrender a baby.

• The 911 emergency responder amendment will give Mom a chance to see an EMT or paramedic should she need health care, and of course the baby will be in the hands of immediate medical care through an EMT. This time saving option can be crucial in life and death situations.

• Massachusetts has had 5 babies surrendered to Baby Safe Havens since our law went into effect, in Oct. 2002. All 5 have been at hospitals.

• The hotline 866-814-SAFE has been involved in 4 of the safe haven surrenders. BabySafeHaven.com has all of this needed info.

• Since the law passed there has only been one deadly abandonment in Milford, MA, where the parents turned themselves in to authorities. (The baby at Brighton High School in May 2006 was a stillborn preemie.)

• In 2005 there were no abandonment’s at all, the first year in 20 for this kind of record. It followed a highly publicized awareness campaign that worked.

• This investment actually saves the state money – No money is going to be spent for investigations, expensive prosecutions, and incarcerations if we stop baby abandonment’s.