Safe Place for Newborns

The Safe Place for Newborns law provides a safe, anonymous alternative for mothers to legally leave their newborns in the care of others. Ambulances dispatched in response to a 9-1-1 call, and hospitals or health care facilities that provide urgent care, are considered safe places. Information about the law for medical staff is below, as well as educational materials that safe places can use in their facilities. Effective July 1, 2024, a birthing person is allowed to anonymously relinquish their newborn under Safe Place for Newborns in the same hospital where they gave birth.

Safe Place for Newborns information for medical staff

Medical staff are required to take in a newborn under the Safe Place for Newborns law as long as the newborn seems to be within 7 days old and unharmed. Staff in these situations are instructed to do the following:

• Do not call the police. Do not try to identify mothers or those acting with the mothers’ permission.
• Arrange for immediate medical care of newborns once surrendered.
• Inform the responsible county agency within 24 hours of receiving newborns.

If a newborn is dropped off at a hospital, hospital staff should complete the Birth Registration for Foundlings and Newborns Left at the Hospital (PDF) form and the Documentation of Birth work sheet (PDF).

The Safe Place for Newborns law does not apply if mothers give birth in a hospital, as a hospital delivery creates a vital record, and anonymity is no longer possible at that point. If the newborn is of American Indian descent, provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act will apply and counties will contact the nearest tribal social service office to identify the child’s family.

Safe Place for Newborns educational materials

Download and print the following files:

• Signage (PDF) — to post at your facility
• Posters (PDF) — to hang at your facility
• Reference cards (PDF) — to distribute to your staff
• Brochures (PDF) — to distribute to your patients and visitors
• Flyer (PDF) — to share with your staff