DA Reminds Residents of Legal Way to Safely Surrender a Newborn

California residents can legally surrender a newborn baby to a hospital or another “safe surrender” site without repercussions, said Jeff Rosen, Santa Clara County district attorney.

The district attorney reminded county residents of California’s “Safely Surrendered Baby Law” in a letter on Tuesday. September is "Baby Safety Awareness" month.

The law, first created in 2001, allows a parent to confidentially hand over a child to authorities within three days of its birth. If any identifying information is given to authorities, Rosen said, it would be kept confidential.

“A parent who complies with the safe surrender law cannot be prosecuted for child abandonment or failing to provide for the child. A parent may seek to reclaim the child within two weeks,” the district attorney said.

In the time since the law came into effect in 2001 until March 11 of this year, 407 newborns have been submitted to the state through the program. There have been 151 babies found alive following illegal abandonment, according to the California Department of Social Services.

In addition to private and public hospitals, all fire stations in Santa Clara County serve as a 24-hour “safe surrender” site, including the stations in Palo Alto. Fire Station 8 is only open during the summer, when fire danger is high.

• Fire Station 1, 301 Alma St.
• Fire Station 2, 2675 Hanover St.
• Fire Station 3, 799 Embarcadero Rd.
• Fire Station 4, 3600 Middlefield Rd.
• Fire Station 5, 600 Arastradero Rd.
• Fire Station 6, 711 Serra St., Stanford
• Fire Station 7, 2575 San Hill Rd., Menlo Park
• Fire Station 8,

“Every baby deserves a chance for a healthy life,” Rosen said.