Pocono News Section

Doctors Stress "Safe Haven" Law for Parents of Newborns

Doctors Stress "Safe Haven" Law for Parents of Newborns - Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 5:13PM EST

BERWICK, COLUMBIA COUNTY -- Just 24 hours after an abandoned newborn baby was found in a yard along Garfield Avenue, doctors hope word about the "Safe Haven" law spreads.

The law states all hospitals in Pennsylvania are safe havens and are there to protect a baby if the parent is not able to care for it properly.

"We're not the only state who has this," said Berwick Police Chief Frank Brennan. "That's because the health of the baby comes first."

The law says a parent can take a newborn, up to 28 days old, to a hospital and drop it off. As long as the baby is unharmed and not a victim of any crime, the parent will not be in any trouble. The parent doesn't have to provide their name, but they can give medical information for the child if they choose. Any staff member can take the baby.

"They're trained to know what to do," said Paula Ochs, the assistant director of the emergency department at Berwick Hospital. "At that point, our doctors do a thorough examination, and then we call the county for help."

"At that point, the child is in our custody," said April Miller, the administrator for Columbia County Children and Youth. "After their release from the hospital, we go through the courts to terminate the parents' rights, and they go through the process for adoption."

While police don't know who abandoned the baby, or how old the mother is, Ochs thinks more people need to be educated about this law.

"I think we need to talk to middle- and high-school students about this," added Ochs, "so they know there's a last-minute option to put a child in good hands."

The baby girl found on Saturday was last reported to be in fair condition at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

"The Berwick police, EMTs, and our doctors did a great job of getting her stabilized so we could get her the critical care she needed," said Ochs.

To speak to someone about the Safe Haven Program, you can make a confidential call to 1-866-921-SAFE or check out www. secretsafe. org.