Safe Haven For Infants: Case Study
Safe Haven for Infants
Optional Assignment
The University of Rhode Island
There is a law in the state of Rhode Island called “The Safe Haven for Infants Act”. This law requires every hospital, medical emergency facility, fire station, or police station to take temporary custody of an infant who appears to be 30 days or younger, who is voluntarily left at the facility. There does not have to be a court order for this custody. The person leaving the infant is not required to identify themselves or disclose any information about themselves or the infant. I visited the Narragansett Fire Department to talk to Captain Peter Taylor about the Baby Safe Haven at his station. Captain Taylor discussed the law …show more content…
and what it entailed. He informed me that although he has never had to enforce the law, he is well aware of his duty as a firefighter if such an event were to occur. He feels it is important that the community be aware of this law to prevent any infant from not having a safe place to go. It was interesting to talk to Captain Taylor about the Baby Safe Haven because I was not educated on the law before meeting with him. I believe it is an excellent resource for the community to be knowledgeable about. As stated in the definition, the Safe Haven for Infants Act requires all hospitals, medical emergency facility, fire station, and police station in Rhode Island to have this option available. This makes the resource extremely convenient for people in the community seeking shelter for an unwanted infant. Captain stated that the fire department does not receive any funding for this law because if an infant were to be dropped off at the station, a worker would immediately take the infant to a hospital.
However, these Safe Havens save tax-payer money by reducing the time police and detectives would spend investigating an abandoned infant. When an infant is abandoned, police, detectives, crime scene investigators and the coroner’s office have to all be involved. Most of these workers are paid through the state and most are given over time for ongoing investigations. This over time comes out of the tax-payers money. Investigations regarding abandoned infants also require DNA testing. The average mitochondrial DNA test, which matches a human to their immediate maternal line, costs the state around $900 per test (Nixon, …show more content…
2007). According to a journal article in Maryland Nurse, as of 2003, forty-five states have put a “Safe Haven” law into effect (Eason, 2005).
Although the locations of these Safe Havens may be different from state to state, the idea is all the same: A mother is able to take her infant to a safe location to have the baby taken care of, without question. Many states do use fire stations, hospitals and police stations as their main locations. This article touches upon the beginning of nurse’s role in infant abandonment. This issue of infant abandonment inspired the establishment of the Promote Public Awareness of Safe Haven Laws for Infant Abandonment Reference Proposal to the 2005 American Nurses Association House of Delegates (Eason, 2005). This proposal led to the recognition that education needed to be done on this subject. Because nurses are often employees or associated with the locations deemed “Safe Havens”, it is vital that nurses be aware of this law and all it
entails. An article in the journal Pediatric Nursing studied the Safe Haven Law in Nebraska. This particular state did not specify age limits pertaining to the Safe Haven Law. Mothers in Nebraska began bringing their teenage children to locations and leaving them there. Many parents and guardians from other states were also bringing their troubled teens to the locations as a way to get them to seek help and be on their own because Nebraska did not specify an age. Police and officials were stunned that residents would think the safe havens were for any child under the age of 18. At least 30 teens were abandoned at hospitals, fire stations and police stations before officials decided to add an age cap (Coodley, 2009). Safe Haven Laws create a safe place for mothers to bring their infants for who they are unable to provide a good life for. This law requires those safe haven locations to take care of the infant temporarily and find a safe place for the infant to go.
References
Eason, T. A. (2005). Report of the ANA HOD reference hearing on: Safe haven laws. The Maryland Nurse,6(4), 22. Retrieved from http://0 web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f5c533da-d4a2-4040- 8d20-36544105b1c9@sessionmgr14&vid=5&hid=26.
Coodley, L. (2009). Nebraska safe haven laws: A feminist historical analysis. Pediatric Nursing. 35(1). 60-63. http://0- web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f5c533da-d4a2-4040- 8d20-36544105b1c9%40sessionmgr14&vid=5&hid=26
Nixon, R. (2007, November 25). Dna tests find branches but few roots. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/business/25dna.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Optional Assignment
The University of Rhode Island
There is a law in the state of Rhode Island called “The Safe Haven for Infants Act”. This law requires every hospital, medical emergency facility, fire station, or police station to take temporary custody of an infant who appears to be 30 days or younger, who is voluntarily left at the facility. There does not have to be a court order for this custody. The person leaving the infant is not required to identify themselves or disclose any information about themselves or the infant. I visited the Narragansett Fire Department to talk to Captain Peter Taylor about the Baby Safe Haven at his station. Captain Taylor discussed the law …show more content…
and what it entailed. He informed me that although he has never had to enforce the law, he is well aware of his duty as a firefighter if such an event were to occur. He feels it is important that the community be aware of this law to prevent any infant from not having a safe place to go. It was interesting to talk to Captain Taylor about the Baby Safe Haven because I was not educated on the law before meeting with him. I believe it is an excellent resource for the community to be knowledgeable about. As stated in the definition, the Safe Haven for Infants Act requires all hospitals, medical emergency facility, fire station, and police station in Rhode Island to have this option available. This makes the resource extremely convenient for people in the community seeking shelter for an unwanted infant. Captain stated that the fire department does not receive any funding for this law because if an infant were to be dropped off at the station, a worker would immediately take the infant to a hospital.
However, these Safe Havens save tax-payer money by reducing the time police and detectives would spend investigating an abandoned infant. When an infant is abandoned, police, detectives, crime scene investigators and the coroner’s office have to all be involved. Most of these workers are paid through the state and most are given over time for ongoing investigations. This over time comes out of the tax-payers money. Investigations regarding abandoned infants also require DNA testing. The average mitochondrial DNA test, which matches a human to their immediate maternal line, costs the state around $900 per test (Nixon, …show more content…
2007). According to a journal article in Maryland Nurse, as of 2003, forty-five states have put a “Safe Haven” law into effect (Eason, 2005).
Although the locations of these Safe Havens may be different from state to state, the idea is all the same: A mother is able to take her infant to a safe location to have the baby taken care of, without question. Many states do use fire stations, hospitals and police stations as their main locations. This article touches upon the beginning of nurse’s role in infant abandonment. This issue of infant abandonment inspired the establishment of the Promote Public Awareness of Safe Haven Laws for Infant Abandonment Reference Proposal to the 2005 American Nurses Association House of Delegates (Eason, 2005). This proposal led to the recognition that education needed to be done on this subject. Because nurses are often employees or associated with the locations deemed “Safe Havens”, it is vital that nurses be aware of this law and all it
entails. An article in the journal Pediatric Nursing studied the Safe Haven Law in Nebraska. This particular state did not specify age limits pertaining to the Safe Haven Law. Mothers in Nebraska began bringing their teenage children to locations and leaving them there. Many parents and guardians from other states were also bringing their troubled teens to the locations as a way to get them to seek help and be on their own because Nebraska did not specify an age. Police and officials were stunned that residents would think the safe havens were for any child under the age of 18. At least 30 teens were abandoned at hospitals, fire stations and police stations before officials decided to add an age cap (Coodley, 2009). Safe Haven Laws create a safe place for mothers to bring their infants for who they are unable to provide a good life for. This law requires those safe haven locations to take care of the infant temporarily and find a safe place for the infant to go.
References
Eason, T. A. (2005). Report of the ANA HOD reference hearing on: Safe haven laws. The Maryland Nurse,6(4), 22. Retrieved from http://0 web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f5c533da-d4a2-4040- 8d20-36544105b1c9@sessionmgr14&vid=5&hid=26.
Coodley, L. (2009). Nebraska safe haven laws: A feminist historical analysis. Pediatric Nursing. 35(1). 60-63. http://0- web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f5c533da-d4a2-4040- 8d20-36544105b1c9%40sessionmgr14&vid=5&hid=26
Nixon, R. (2007, November 25). Dna tests find branches but few roots. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/business/25dna.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0