Legal Definitions - Baby Moses law

The term Baby Moses law is an informal name for a Safe Haven Law. These laws are designed to prevent infant abandonment and infanticide by allowing a parent to legally and anonymously surrender an unwanted infant to designated safe locations, such as hospitals, fire stations, or police stations, without fear of criminal prosecution for abandonment. The primary goal is to protect the life of the infant by providing a safe alternative for parents who feel unable to care for their newborn.

Here are some examples illustrating how a Baby Moses law applies:

• Example 1 (Hospital): A young woman, feeling overwhelmed and unable to care for her newborn baby, drives to a local hospital. She approaches the emergency room entrance, hands her infant to a nurse, and states that she is surrendering the child under the state's Baby Moses law. Because she followed the law's provisions regarding the age of the infant and the designated location, she faces no criminal charges for abandonment, and the baby receives immediate medical attention and is placed into protective custody.

• Example 2 (Fire Station): A parent, struggling with severe postpartum depression and feeling desperate, brings their two-day-old infant to a manned fire station. They inform the firefighter on duty that they are surrendering the baby under the state's Safe Haven Law. The firefighter accepts the infant, ensuring the child's safety and initiating the process for the child to be placed with social services. The parent is able to leave anonymously, protected from prosecution under the Baby Moses law.

• Example 3 (Police Station): A teenager, who secretly gave birth and feels completely unprepared for parenthood, decides to utilize the Baby Moses law. She carefully takes her three-day-old baby to a police station during operating hours. She hands the baby to an officer, explaining her intent to surrender the child under the Safe Haven provisions. The police ensure the baby's well-being and contact child protective services, while the teenager is not charged with abandonment due to her adherence to the law.