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Iowa DHS declares 36th and 37th Safe Haven babies

A baby girl and boy born in late May have been declared Iowa’s 36th and 37th Safe Haven baby.

A baby girl and boy born in late May have been declared Iowa’s 36th and 37th Safe Haven baby.

A girl was born May 24 and a boy was born May 27, 2019. Both infants were released to the custody of DHS through Iowa’s ‘Safe Haven’ law.

A court hearing to terminate parental rights is held within a month. Specific details are withheld in order to protect the identity of the parents and the children.

Through Iowa’s safe haven law, parents have the option to safely hand over custody of babies age 30 days or younger without fear of prosecution for abandonment. The parent or their authorized representative can leave the newborn at a hospital or health care facility, and can remain anonymous.

The safe haven law was approved in the wake of a high-profile case in 2001 involving a teen mother in eastern Iowa who killed her home-delivered newborn. Infants who are safe haven babies are placed with currently-approved foster or adoptive families.

If you are interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please visit https://iowafosterandadoption.org/.

For more information on the safe haven procedure: http://dhs.iowa.gov/safe-haven

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