The following calls are to be expeditiously forwarded to and handled by Nick Silverio, Founder at 786-413-2570.
· All calls regarding A Safe Haven for Newborns in Florida, except for basic needs.
· Hiding their pregnancy…Anonymity issues
· If the law does not grant anonymity
· Unsure of what to do…the Safe Haven option vs Adoption
· Assistance navigating thru
the entire pregnancy
· Wanting to utilize the Safe Haven option
· Process to reclaim a newborn left at a Safe Haven facility
· Adoption issues
· Requesting signage/decals/collateral materials
· For Safe Haven facilities personnel
only…Safe Haven for Newborns Web based Certification is offered to all 50 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Please
encourage their participation and connect them to Nick Silverio, Founder at 786-413-2570……safehaven@asafehavenfornewborns.com.........www.asafehavenfornewborns.com
· Caller is interested in volunteer opportunities or donating to A Safe Haven for Newborns.
· Any other question(s), issues not previously addressed or when in doubt.
We are dedicated to saving the lives of precious newborns, WHATEVER IT TAKES, as every life is precious.
We assist the pregnant
woman or mother in a compassionate way to receive the help and support she needs.
REMEMBER, It is the Law-the baby MUST be
given to a staff member at a Safe Haven facility. Tell them you are leaving the baby with “Safe Haven”.
ANONYMITY -We respect and protect
the callers right to anonymity at all times.
MEDICAL HISTORY- Asking for and the mother providing medical history information is optional.
|
SAFE
HAVEN PROVIDERS: HOSPITAL POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRE STATION EMS PROVIDER (MUST BE LEFT WITH A STAFF MEMBER) |
AGE: 3 DAYS OR YOUNGER |
ANONYMITY
AND LEGAL PROTECTION GRANTED |
Infant’s Age
Citation: Comp. Laws § 712.1
A newborn may be relinquished. The term ‘newborn’ means a child who a physician reasonably believes to be not more than 72 hours old.
Who May Relinquish the Infant
Citation: Comp. Laws
§§ 712.1; 712.3
A parent may surrender the child. The term ‘surrender’ means to leave a newborn with an emergency service provider without expressing an intent to return for the newborn.
Who May Receive the Infant
Citation: Comp. Laws § 712.1
The infant may be surrendered to an emergency service provider. An emergency service provider includes a uniformed or otherwise identified employee or contractor of a fire department, hospital, or police station when that individual is inside the premises and on duty. Emergency service provider also includes a paramedic or an emergency medical technician when either of those individuals is responding to a 911 emergency call.
Responsibilities
of the Safe Haven Provider
Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 712.3; 750.135(2)
The safe haven provider will do all of the following:
• Take the child into temporary protective custody
• Provide the child with any necessary care
and transport the child to a hospital if necessary
• Inform the parent that by surrendering
the child, he or she is relinquishing rights to the child to a child-placing agency for adoption
• Provide written material that informs the parent about rights and available services
• Encourage
the parent to provide family and medical information
• Notify a child-placing agency about
the child
• Make a child protection report if abuse of the child is suspected or if the examining physician suspects that the child is not a newborn
Immunity for the Provider
Citation: Comp. Laws § 712.2
A hospital and a child-placing agency, and their agents and employees, are immune in a civil action for damages for an act or omission in accepting or transferring a newborn under this chapter, except for an act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. To the extent not protected by the immunity conferred by §§ 691.1401 to 691.1415, an employee or contractor of a fire department or police station has the same immunity that this subsection provides to a hospital’s or child-placing agency’s agent or employee.
Protection
for Relinquishing Parent
Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 712.3; 750.135(2)
Information the parent provides to an emergency service provider
will not be made public.
Except for situations involving actual or suspected child abuse or child neglect, it is an affirmative defense to a prosecution for child abandonment that the child was not more than 72 hours old and was surrendered to an emergency service provider.A criminal investigation shall not be initiated solely on the basis of a newborn being surrendered to an emergency service provider.
Effect
on Parental Rights
Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 712.3; 712.17
By surrendering the newborn, the parent is releasing the newborn to a child-placing agency to be placed for adoption.
The parent has 28 days after surrendering the newborn to petition the court to regain custody of the newborn. After the
28-day period to petition for custody elapses, there will be a hearing to determine and terminate parental rights.
There will be public notice of this hearing, and the notice will not contain the parent’s name. The parent will not receive personal notice of this hearing.
A parent who surrenders a newborn and does not file a custody action is presumed to have knowingly released his or her parental rights to the newborn. If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the surrendering parent has knowingly released his or her rights to the child and that reasonable efforts were made to locate the non surrendering parent and a custody action has not been filed, the court shall enter an order terminating parental rights of the surrendering parent and the non surrendering parent.