Mike Morrisey, co-founder of Baby Safe Haven in New England, joined Rep. John Mizuno on the KHON2 Morning News show today. Mike and his wife Jean are here from Massachusetts to lobby for an override of HB1830 should the governor veto the bill as expected. Photo: Kirk Matthews, John Mizuno, Mike Morrisey
Oprah Covers Baby Safe Haven laws
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Baby Safe Haven law gets vote of support
By Christian Schiavone/Milford Daily News correspondent
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The Baby Safe Haven law, set to expire next year, got a vote of support from a legislative committee yesterday.
The Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities voted unanimously in favor of continuing the law, which allows parents to surrender unwanted newborns to designated authorities.
In a packed hearing room in the State House basement, the committee heard testimony from legislators and advocacy groups, all in favor of lifting the sunset clause that would have the law expire in June 2008.
"The program is working," said state Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, co-chairwoman of the committee and lead sponsor of one of the bills that were combined by the committee. "It's vital to keep the doors open to people who want to surrender their children safely."
The law, enacted in 2004, protects parents from prosecution if they surrender unwanted newborn children up to 7 days old to hospital emergency rooms, police stations and manned fire stations.
Since the law was enacted, five newborns have been surrendered safely around the state. Two other babies were abandoned, including a baby boy who was found dead in a Milford garbage truck in January, though police say the parents have said the baby was stillborn. The other newborn was abandoned in Boston and survived.
Michael Morrisey, who co-founded Baby Safe Haven New England with his wife, Jean, said in the four years before the law went into effect, 13 newborns were abandoned, six of whom died of exposure or abuse by the parents.
The organization pushed for the state's original safe haven law and pushes for stronger safe haven laws throughout the region.
"I've never seen this immediate and dramatic results from a piece of legislation," said state Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord, a member of the committee.
Massachusetts was the 46th state to pass such a law. It has the last sunset clause in the country, Morrisey said.
The baby boy found dead on Purchase Street in Milford was mentioned several times at the hearing.
Milford Police have released few details about the baby. Chief Thomas O'Loughlin said they are awaiting autopsy results to determine whether it was stillborn. Police say the baby's parents are both Milford residents, but they are withholding their identities pending the autopsy results.
Whether the baby was alive at birth will affect any possible charges facing the parents.
Less than three weeks after the baby was found, the Milford selectmen voted to support extending the law past its June 2008 expiration date.
Milford was also one of the first towns to adopt the law on a local level, the year before it went into effect statewide.
State Rep. John Fernandes, D-Milford, who is also on the committee, said the abandoned baby in Milford was a tragedy, but no law would prevent all cases of infant abandonment. "The question is can we save some of those lives, and I think the answer is yes," he said. "The law has proven itself."
The bill also lays out a system of oversight, involving biennial reports to legislative committees from various state agencies, including the Department of Social Services.
In addition to allowing parents to surrender children, there is also a hotline where parents can speak to social workers for counseling about keeping the children. The hotline receives about 40 calls per month.
Representatives from Massachusetts Citizens for Life, a pro-life advocacy group, and Fathers and Families, a fathers' rights advocacy group, also support extending the law.
The committee also considered backing a measure that would have allowed parents to call 911 and surrender a newborn to paramedics. It was decided the option needed further study.
Similar 911 options are in place in Vermont and New Hampshire, said Morrisey.
The legislation will now go back to the Senate clerk, and will likely be assigned to another committee for further review.
NANCY GRACE SHOW - CNN HEADLINE NEWS
National Call for Action - Baby Safe Haven laws
Aired January 10, 2007 
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0701/10/ng.01.html
NANCY GRACE: Tonight, alert. Last night's story on Baby Hope Rose, the
baby girl abandoned on the Portland, Oregon, doorstep, just hours old.
Safe haven laws are offering a safe place for babies dropped off. No
questions. Safe havens are hospitals, police departments, fire
stations. Almost all states have them.
But many moms fear arrest or they don't know where safe havens are.
Tonight, we are calling for a national safe haven law and federal
funding, Washington, so abandoned babies have a safe, secure haven.
Please, we must eliminate confusion. Safe havens needed. They need
obvious marking; they need symbols or logos to I.D. them.
Call your local and federal government. Demand action. Remember,
people, they are working for us.
NEW ENGLAND CABLE NEWS - MONDAY. FEB. 26 - 9 PM
Baby Safe Haven law
The Massachusetts Baby Safe Haven law was enacted in 2004, to prevent the abandonment of newborns by their parents. With now five babies surrendered, it's arguably the most successful safe haven law in the country. NECN's Stephen Landoli has more.
'SECRET SAFE HAVEN SANTA': This sign on Longwood Avenue near a cluster of Hub hospitals is one of many posted by an anonymous ambulance driver that alerts mothers of a legal way to give up unwanted babies.
Sign language: Ambulance driver hypes baby law
By Jessica Fargen
Boston Herald Health & Medical Reporter
Thursday, December 7, 2006
An anonymous angel on a crusade to save abandoned babies emptied his pockets to pay for eye-catching Baby Safe Haven signs that mysteriously popped up in Boston and Taunton, the Herald has learned.
But he’s worried now about the law and promises to jump through the necessary legal hoops to keep those signs up where desperate young mothers can see them.
“I didn’t know it was against the law,” he said last night about the signs he affixed to city signposts. He declined to give his name, but said the recent abandonment of Baby Jordan on a Roslindale lawn got to him, and he didn’t want to see it happen again.
“He’s really concerned about the fact that babies were being dropped off in different places,” said Sharon Belcastro, a manager at Atlantic Highway Sign Co.
Last month, the Taunton shop made 25 signs at $80 a pop for an ambulance driver who wanted to remain anonymous but felt passionate about the Baby Safe Haven law, Belcastro said.
The official-looking fluorescent green and black signs, which showed up in front of hospitals, police and fire stations in Boston and Taunton, let moms know they can drop off a newborn at those locations without fear of prosecution.
The signs have captured the attention of people who applaud it and want to know whose great idea it was.
“Everybody’s been asking everyone,” said a Taunton firefighter.
Mike Morrisey, founder of Baby Safe Haven New England, dubbed the mystery person the “secret Safe Haven Santa.”
Morrisey said there’s not enough money to make new moms aware of the law, resulting in newborns being left for dead in alleys and back yards.
Department of Social Services spokeswoman Denise Monteiro applauded the effort, but wished the signs included the Baby Safe Haven hotline number.
Baby Safe Haven advocates will meet at the State House today to support changes to the law that would add 911 responders to the list of people who could pick up an abandoned baby. Monteiro said the law is working. Just a month ago, a mom left her baby at a Boston-area hospital.
State Representative Barry Finegold leads a Beacon Hill press conference announcing the filing of a bill to eliminate the Baby Safe Haven law sunset clause, and amend in 911 responders as safe havens. The fourth baby safely surrendered in Massachusetts, Baby Iris (Infant Relinquished In Safety), was also announced by Representative Finegold and DSS Public Affairs Director Denise Monteiro.
Milford official wants Baby Safe Haven Law better publicized
By David Riley/DAILY NEWS STAFF - MILFORD DAILY NEWS
Monday, January 08, 2007
MILFORD - The town and local news media must spread awareness of a law that lets parents give up newborn babies to authorities without prosecution, selectmen Chairman Brian Murray said last night.
Authorities have not yet determined if a baby found dead in a trash truck Saturday on Purchase Street was stillborn or died from other causes.
But Murray said the "tragic event" should spur efforts to publicize the Baby Safe Haven Law, which lets parents turn over an infant to a hospital, police or fire department within seven days of birth.
"I think it's incumbent upon all of us to do whatever we can do" to prevent a similar incident in the future, Murray said at last night's Board of Selectmen meeting.
Afterward, Selectman Bill Buckley said he supports publicizing the Safe Haven Law, but he cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the baby found on Purchase Street before an autopsy is completed.
"It's good to communicate Safe Haven, but it's not clear until we get the medical examiner's report that it could have done anything to help this particular baby," Buckley said.
Whatever happened, Murray said he hopes the baby's family gets the help it needs. "The event I think both shocked and saddened the members of our community," he said.
Murray asked Town Administrator Louis Celozzi to work with the Police and Fire departments to make sure they know their responsibilities under the Baby Safe Haven Law.
Celozzi also will coordinate efforts with Milford Regional Medical Center, the town's schools and the Milford Town Library to publicize the law, the selectmen chairman said.
Murray also said he had spoken with Michael Morrisey, one of the Baby Safe Haven Law's original proponents. Morrisey is willing to come to Milford to discuss other ideas to spread awareness with town officials, Murray said.
Selectmen also commended Police Chief Thomas O'Loughlin for his handling of the incident, along with Highway Surveyor Shelly Leclaire.
Milford was among the first seven communities in the state to adopt the Baby Safe Haven Law, which was enacted statewide in 2004, Murray said.
In other business, selectmen held a hearing on how a $1 million Community Development Block Grant should be spent if the town receives the funding.
Community Development Director Susan Clark said Milford annually receives funding from this grant program to pay for sidewalk and street repairs, facade improvements, a housing rehabilitation program and other projects.
Clark initially proposed tackling sidewalks and repaving on Central, North Bow and Fayette streets, but she said last night that the drainage system on Central Street must be replaced before it is repaved.
She suggested installing new drainage and repaving for Central Street and taking on North Bow Street repairs if money is left over.
The town's $1 million application also would cover housing rehab.
North Bow Street resident Marie Dicampo asked the town to consider replacing sidewalks along her street. While walkways are fine next to the Milford Senior Center, the rest of the street is treacherous for seniors, she said.
"I think the big X' factor is going to be how much Central Street is going to cost," Murray said.
Another public hearing on the grant application is planned Jan. 22, Celozzi said.
Selectmen also appointed Joseph Arcudi, who retired as town clerk last month, to take on clerk duties from March 30 to April 3, during the annual town election.
The Board of Registrars sent selectmen a letter suggesting Arcudi take on election duties for Assistant Town Clerk Amy Hennessy Neves, who is running for Arcudi's former job.
"We feel any involvement in the election on her part will be a conflict of interest," Murray read from the registrars' letter.
WORCESTER TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
Jan 8, 2007
Baby’s parents identified
Newborn’s body to be autopsied
By Linda Bock TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
MILFORD— Police identified a 27-year-old Milford woman yesterday as the mother of a dead newborn found Saturday in the back of a BFI disposal truck.
An autopsy will be conducted today by the office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause and manner of the infant’s death, police said.
Investigating police officers summoned emergency medical technicians and paramedics from the Milford Fire Department to provide emergency medical services to the baby’s mother at Milford Police Headquarters.
Milford Police Chief Thomas J. O’Loughlin said the mother voluntarily came to police headquarters yesterday with the child’s father. She also was questioned Saturday. The names of the parents were not released.
“We did interview her,” O’Loughlin said. “There’s no question she’s the mother.”
Police released little information Saturday night or last night, other than to confirm that the body of a baby had been discovered. The age, gender and description of the newborn have not been released, nor have details such as the mother’s name, whether foul play is suspected, or if charges are pending.
The baby was found in a trash truck on Purchase Street, near Camp Street, by trash collectors. The truck has been impounded as part of the investigation.
Police said no further information on the investigation would be provided until a determination has been made by the medical examiner and Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. reviews the case.
Mr. Early, state police Lt. Richard McKeon and Chief O’Loughlin thanked the public yesterday for its support and cooperation in providing information during the investigation. Police established a tip line Saturday for anyone with information on the deceased child or its family.
Meanwhile, Baby Safe Haven New England yesterday called for renewal of the Massachusetts Baby Safe Haven Law in the wake of the death.
The Safe Haven Law allows mothers to leave their newborns at police departments and fire stations — without facing legal consequences. The legislation was passed to encourage parents to bring unwanted babies to safe places instead of leaving them to suffer, or even die. The law went into effect in October 2004. Massachusetts was the 46th state to adopt such a law.
Parents must hand the baby to somebody at the facility, and are not required to answer questions or identify themselves. However, staff members are encouraged to ask for information.
Babies are covered under the law if they are no more than 7 days old. According to the law, a baby taken to a police or fire station is immediately taken to a hospital. The state Department of Social Services then takes custody of the infant and places the baby in foster care. Parental rights are not immediately terminated.
Baby Safe Haven New England co-founders Jean L. and Michael D. Morrisey of Lexington named the baby found in the trash Saturday Baby Epiphany, in honor of the Epiphany, a Christian feast day commemorated Jan. 6. Mr. Morrisey said they named the baby because in more than 50 percent of such cases, the mother is never located.
The Morriseys are advocating for a renewed effort to alert the public of the Baby Safe Haven law, and to push for the Legislature to renew the law when it expires next year. They said the state’s Baby Safe Haven law has been utilized four times in the two years since its implementation. The most recent baby surrendering took place in the metro Boston area in November. Named Baby Iris, the newborn was safely relinquished. Twenty-one other women have utilized the Baby Safe Haven 24-hour hot line for counseling into full adoption or parenting programs. Mr. Morrisey said the hot line receives up to 100 calls a month, from girls as young as 12 to women in their 30s.
Mr. Morrisey said he wished the Milford baby’s mother had availed herself of the Baby Safe Haven law. It is not known, however, if the Baby Safe Haven law was applicable in this case.
Mr. and Mrs. Morrisey pushed for the Baby Safe Haven law in Massachusetts beginning in November 2001, when a baby was found in Dorchester, and watched the law slowly wind its way through the state’s legislative process. A few years ago, when it appeared the law had lost momentum, the couple began going from town to town, including Milford, trying to get local officials to adopt their own versions of the law.
Brian W. Murray, chairman of selectmen, who was also chairman at the time the local ordinance was passed in 2004, said the board approved the measure before presenting it to town meeting in June 2004. Mr. Murray said the board received positive feedback from the police and fire departments, Milford Regional Hospital and other local officials when they first proposed that Milford enact a local Baby Safe Haven home-rule petition.
“At the time, Milford was the seventh town in the state to enact a local law,” Mr. Murray said. “We were at the forefront of this law. Now, our job is to make it better.”
Mr. Murray said officials will work to support the Baby Safe Haven law.
“Right now, this has hit everybody right between the eyes,” Mr. Murray said.
BABY SAFE HAVEN NEW ENGLAND CALLS FOR RENEWAL OF MASSACHUSETTS BABY SAFE HAVEN LAW PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN Jan. 6, 2007
New England Cable News Video: http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn.html?catID=80769&clipid=1158334&autoStart=true&mute=false&continuous=true
http://news.bostonherald.com/editorial/view.bg?articleid=171410
Renew Safe Haven law
By Boston Herald Editorial Staff
Monday, December 11, 2006
Too many people leap to the conclusion that only government can solve society’s problems. They should take a cue from the anonymous local ambulance driver who took up a critical cause on his own.
As the Herald reported last week, this driver handed over more than $2,000 of his hard-earned pay (and there are few more difficult jobs than tending to the urgently sick) to pay for signs alerting desperate mothers who might be considering the unthinkable that they do have options.
He posted the fluorescent signs outside several hospitals in Boston and Taunton to trumpet the so-called Baby Safe Haven law, which allows mothers of very newborn babies to drop them at a hospital emergency room or a staffed fire or police station without fear of criminal prosecution.
When the alternative is abandonment in a dumpster or a restroom - or worse - the arms of a welcoming firefighter or nurse is certainly preferable.
While well-intentioned, the ambulance driver was admittedly a bit naive; the signs weren’t authorized by either city and he didn’t have a permit to post. But right-minded officials in Boston and Taunton have agreed the signs can stay. Given tight budgets and little money to publicize the law, the anonymous crusader’s work should be appreciated even more.
But even more important, the episode has drawn renewed attention to the Safe Haven law. Fears among some critics that the law would lead to wholesale abandonment of unwanted babies in Massachusetts haven’t come to pass. Neither, sadly, have some women stopped abandoning children in perilous places.
But there are success stories. And the law, scheduled to expire in 2008, deserves to be reauthorized.
Rep. Barry Finegold (D-Andover), who helped enact the original bill and saw it signed into law by Gov. Mitt Romney, has filed legislation to extend the statute indefinitely.
Officials: Safe Haven signs staying put
By Jessica Fargen
Boston Herald Health & Medical Reporter - Friday, December 8, 2006
Boston and Taunton officials won’t tear down the Baby Safe Haven signs that mysteriously popped up on city sidewalks, saying that the man behind the gift has his heart in the right place.
“I don’t think anyone will have a problem with them considering what they are all about,” said Gill Enos, assistant to Taunton Mayor Robert Nunes. “It’s a good thing.”
The secret Santa, an ambulance driver who wants to remain anonymous, paid more than $2,000 for 25 signs, which he hung without permits. The signs tell desperate young moms about a 2004 law that lets them to drop off a baby, within seven days of birth, at a hospital or manned police or fire station without questions being asked or fear of prosecution.
“That takes a lot of courage and a lot of effort. We really say thank you,” said Mike Morrisey, cofounder of Baby Safe Haven New England. Boston won’t remove the signs unless they become a public nuisance, but Mayor Thomas M. Menino wants the do-gooder to get a permit, a spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, State Rep. Barry Finegold (D-Andover) wants the safe haven law extended beyond its expiration in two years. “We’ve had four babies turned in through the baby safe haven law,” he said. “We feel the law is working.”
Baby safe havens set up in Taunton
By Terence J. Downing, Enterprise staff writer - Nov. 14, 2006
TAUNTON - Bright yellow signs have been posted outside city fire
stations advertising them as drop-off sites for unwanted newborns under
the state's Safe Haven Act, aimed at protecting endangered infants.
Fire Chief Leman W. Padelford said the signs were posted at the fire
stations last week and he has been provided with information to brief
firefighters on what to do in the event a parent drops off a child.
The new awareness campaign comes just a month after a newborn was found
wrapped in a trash bag in the backyard of a home in the Roslindale
section of Boston in freezing temperatures.
"The law is only good if people know about it," said Denise
Monteiro, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services.
The Safe Haven Act allows a parent to legally surrender newborn infants
7 days old or younger at a hospital, police station or manned fire
station without facing criminal prosecution.
The program is intended to provide a safe alternative for parents who
decide they cannot take care of a newborn baby and might otherwise
abandon the child.
State officials are hoping that in the moment of panic when a mother
decides she does not want her baby, she will remember to take advantage
of a law that could save her child's life.
The law became effective Oct. 29, 2004. Massachusetts is the 47th state
to enact such a measure.
A 6-day-old baby girl was the first infant to be dropped off under the
law in March 2005 at a hospital in the Merrimack Valley.
Two babies have been abandoned in Massachusetts in the past six months,
despite the safe haven law.
A newborn boy was abandoned in a Boston yard last month, and a newborn
boy was found in April in a trash bin in Westfield, allegedly left
there by his mother, who has been charged with attempted murder.
DSS, which oversees the program, and advocacy groups have been trying
to do more advertising to educate young mothers about the law, Monteiro
said.
The Legislature approved $200,000 for a promotional campaign after the
law took effect nearly two years ago, but the funding has run out.
DSS and supporters have raised some funds to keep posters available.
"We have to keep the awareness campaign going to make it work,"
Monteiro said.
She said letters were sent out to communities asking for approval to
put up the signs.
"Some were more receptive than others," she said. "We're not
forcing them on anyone. Some communities want the public to know."
DSS staff are visiting the sites where signs have gone up to brief
workers on how the law works and what needs to be done.
Monteiro said a frightened young mother recently dropped off a newborn
at a hospital, but staff would not allow her to leave.
"They told her she can't leave," Monteiro said.
Monteiro said after several phone calls were made, the staff was
informed that the woman has the right to leave.
Thirteen babies were abandoned in the four years before the law took
effect, and six of them died, according to Baby Safe Haven New England,
an advocacy group.
The law requires that the parent give the infant to a person inside the
facility. The law is applicable when there are no signs of abuse or
neglect.
"You can't just dump off a baby after abusing it," Monteiro said.
DSS is notified immediately when a baby is dropped off.
Although the law carries a no-questions-asked policy, the person
accepting the infant is asked to encourage the parent to voluntarily
provide some information, such as name of the child, medical
information, location of the newborn's birth and any other information
that might reasonably assist in caring for the newborn.
"It's a fine line," Monteiro said. "If we seek too much
information, babies will end up in Dumpsters."
Annemarie Matulis, president of the advocacy group Southeastern
Massachusetts Voices Against Violence, supports the law.
"If one tiny life is saved by the Safe Haven Law, then it is beyond
worthwhile," said Matulis.
She said she was saddened to find that funding for educational outreach
was gone.
"How sad it is that the Safe Haven law is necessary? For me, there's
a clear parallel between this law and current attitudes about violence
prevention: we're shooting at the symptoms. As a nation, we must pull
our heads out of the sand and address the underlying problem: Children
learn what they live," Matulis said.
"Will it help save lives? Of course. But it does not address the root
cause: How did it come to this? Why are these young women so frightened
and despairing?" Matulis said.
Abandoned baby found, 'Safe Haven" questioned
A newborn baby boy found abandoned in Boston late Sunday morning is in critical condition at Children's Hospital. Massachusetts has a Safe Haven law that allows parents to bring their newborns to a police station, fire station or hospital without fear of prosecution. NECN's John Moroney has more.
http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn.html?catID=80781&clipid=999730&autoStart=true&mute=false&continuous=true
NANCY GRACE SHOW - CNN HEADLINE NEWS
Newborn Found Alive in Trash Bag - Boston - Aired October 9, 2006 - Transcript
Maine to give guidance about safe haven law
Portsmouth Herald News - Nov 7, 2006
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- The state Department of Health and Human Services plans to alert hundreds of medical services providers that their offices can serve as drop-off points for newborn babies abandoned under Maine's Safe Haven law.
In 2002 Maine became one of the first of 47 states to enact a law allowing mothers to bring babies to designated locations such as hospitals, medical offices and police stations and leave them in the care of the state with no questions asked.
After talk show host Oprah Winfrey drew attention Friday to problems arising with such laws, a random survey by WGME-TV of dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, psychologists and chiropractors found that all were unaware of their legal requirements under the statute.
DHHS spokesman John Martins said the agency was providing guidance to those medical services providers about their responsibilities under the law.
The law has only been exercised twice during the four years it has been on the books, officials said, and in both cases the baby was dropped off at a hospital.
Baby Safe Haven Law - New Hampshire
by Stephanie J. Serrano 
Gina Pease (in purple above), wife of Hudson Police Department Captain William Pease, successfully led New Hampshire in the implementation of the Baby Safe Haven bill.
On May 5, Governor Craig Benson signed into law HB104, the Baby Safe Haven bill. The bill, which is now in effect, creates an exception to the crime of child endangerment and implements procedures for a hospital or safe haven to assume temporary care of an abandoned child.
New Hampshire now joins 45 other states in passing this law, which puts our priority on the safety of a newborn baby. It allows for babies up to seven days old to be given unharmed to a person at a designated Safe Haven location. This can be done anonymously and without fear of prosecution. Babies can be surrendered to a hospital, fire or police station, church or church building, or by calling 911 to arrange for an alternative location.
The hope is that women who are faced with a crisis pregnancy and birth will seek the support and help that is available for her and her baby. However, if she should choose not to take this path, there is now an alternative to unsafe and potentially fatal abandonment of a human life.
The purpose of this bill is to help keep babies alive. Safe Haven laws recognize the problem of mothers in panic who go to extreme measures to get rid of their newborn.
June 13, 2003
VERMONT - State to spread word about safe haven law
October 13, 2006 - By Louis Porter Vermont Press Bureau
MONTPELIER - Gov. James Douglas and a group of state officials,
advocates and law enforcement personnel announced a new campaign to
publicize the state's new baby safe haven law Thursday.
The law allows parents who leave their newborn children at safe
locations rather than abandoning them to avoid prosecution. This year
Vermont joined nearly every other state in having such a rule, designed
to prevent young children from being abandoned in potentially
life-threatening circumstances.
Douglas, a Republican, called the measure the result of a
"collaborative non-partisan effort," and among the crowd assembled
behind him were Democrat Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz as well
as representatives from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and
the Vermont Right to Life Committee.
Markowitz, who 15 years ago discovered an abandoned baby in Hubbard
Park, has worked for some time to push for the measure to become law,
but she said the real credit belongs to Hinesburg resident Rocky
Harlow, who has also lobbied legislators on the issue.
Lawmakers finally moved the measure to the top of their priorities
"just to get rid of Rocky Harlow," Markowitz joked.
Douglas and Markowitz were also joined by Danielle Leonard, the child
discovered by Markowitz, and her adopted parents.
Parents or guardians of a child who is up to 30 days old can leave the
child in the custody of a worker or volunteer of a fire or police
station, hospital, adoption agency, place of worship or by contacting
emergency services.
The law will probably only be used in rare cases when a new or young
mother is "desperate" and doesn't know what to do, officials said. They
estimate there have only been two babies abandoned in the state in the
last decade or so. Douglas said the law is important in any case.
"Fortunately it has been a rare occasion in our state," he said. "But
one situation like this is one too many."
A Web site, http://www.babysafehaven.vermont.gov , also has been set up
to publicize the new program.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Douglas signs Baby Safe Haven bill
Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - By Sky Barsch - Free Press Staff Writer
MONTPELIER -- Danielle Leonard was just two days old when she had her
first encounter with a woman named Deb Markowitz.
Markowitz was out for a walk in Montpelier's Hubbard Park, when she
heard what she thought was a kitten. Instead, she found an abandoned
newborn and brought her to safety.
Tuesday, Leonard, that once-abandoned newborn and now a 14-year-old
Northfield High School student living with adoptive parents, and
Markowitz, the secretary of state, were together again in the
Governor's Ceremonial Office to witness the signing of a law that
creates "baby safe havens," designated places where a person can turn
over a child that is younger than 30 days without facing criminal
punishment.
The law, effective July 1, is intended to provide a last option for
distraught parents who might otherwise abandon babies in unsafe places.
It designates fire stations, police stations and places of worship,
among other places, as safe places to bring newborns.
"In my circumstance, I ended up fine," Leonard said after the signing.
"But I'm sure there could have been a chance that nobody would have
been in the park that day, and I could have died."
With Gov. Jim Douglas' signature, Vermont becomes the 47th state with a
safe-haven law. Alaska, Hawaii and Nebraska do not have such laws, said
Mike Morrissey, a Massachusetts-based Baby Safe Haven advocate who
attended Tuesday's signing.
Markowitz said finding and knowing Leonard is what inspired her to use
her access to the Legislature to push for the law.
"If anything, this should be called Danielle's bill. This is the baby
that I found when she was in Hubbard Park, abandoned," Markowitz said
to a crowd of the bill's supporters, as she put her arm around Leonard.
"As you can see, she's precious."
While the law is a first step in protecting would-be abandoned babies,
it does not address issues of parental rights for the birth or adoptive
parents.
When asked about the issue, Cindy Walcott, deputy commissioner for the
Family Services Division of the Department for Children and Families,
said the issue of parental rights is unclear at this point.
"I really don't feel I can answer those questions for you with any
certainty," Walcott said.
Walcott stressed that her department offers many services for mothers
who feel they are unable to care for their child.
Two babies have been abandoned in her nearly 28 years with the
department, Walcott said.
The safe-haven bill was signed Tuesday after a six-year campaign by
Hinesburg resident Rocky Harlow, who became inspired to push for the
legislation after hearing media accounts of abandoned babies. It seemed
at first that legislators weren't listening to Harlow, but he continued
to advocate for the bill's passage, he said by e-mail.
Harlow was unable to attend Tuesday's signing because he is serving in
Iraq with the Vermont Air National Guard.
His parents, Bud and Susan Harlow, were in the Statehouse on Tuesday.
They said their son was grateful that the bill was signed into law.
"I believe it was suggested that it could be put off until he came
back, and he said no," Susan Harlow said of the signing. "It was far
more important to him to get this signed."
RHODE ISLAND - Woman gives up newborn at Providence fire station
It is believed to be the first time someone has taken advantage of the
state's 2001 Safe Haven Act, which allows a baby to be left at certain
locations without fear of prosecution.
Friday, May 27, 2005 - BY TOM MOONEY - Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE -- The young woman pulled up to the Messer Street firehouse
in a van and walked to the door carrying a newborn baby in a white
blanket. She rang the doorbell.
Firefighters Carl Richards and David Peters answered.
"I just had this baby a few minutes ago," the woman reportedly told
them. "I can't keep it. I can't take care of it. I was told I could
drop the baby off here, at a Safe Haven.
"Can I leave it with you?"
The General Assembly in 2001 passed the Safe Haven for Infants
Protection Act, to protect babies from abandonment. The act allows
parents to drop off their infant at a hospital, clinic, or fire or
police station -- without fear of prosecution.
Legislators passed the bill, which Governor Almond later signed into
law, after two babies were abandoned in Providence in the summer of
2000.
Digital extra
Read Rhode Island's "Safe Haven for Infants Act"
But apparently, not until Wednesday afternoon had the act been tested,
said Thomas Dwyer, associate director of the state Department of
Children, Youth and Families.
The process "worked exactly the way the law intended it to work," said
Dwyer. "I consider it to be a good outcome."
The firefighters estimated that the baby had been born less than an
hour before the woman arrived at the station, around 4 p.m.
"When you hear the doorbell ring like that, it's usually somebody's
house on fire down the street who doesn't have a phone," Capt. Timothy
McDaniel, who was on duty again at the Messer Street station last
night, said. "This was just as important, though."
Though city fire personnel were briefed about the Safe Haven Act after
it was passed, this was the first time Providence firefighters had
dealt with such a situation.
They called a rescue truck for the infant, and asked the mother whether
she wanted a ride to the hospital, too. She declined. They didn't ask
anything further.
"The thing with Safe Haven is, the fewer questions asked, the more
likely they are to bring the baby here instead of someplace less safe,"
McDaniel said.
The baby girl appeared to be in good condition, with healthy color and
strong breathing, so the firefighters had little to do but wait for a
rescue crew to arrive from their station on Atwells Avenue.
"I held the little baby," firefighter Antonio Brito said last night.
"Cute little thing."
McDaniel couldn't remember the last time he'd seen 10 firefighters on
duty at a station gather together like that. "It lightened the
atmosphere," he said. "The morale's not good, with our contract
situation with the city right now."
The unexpected arrival had firefighters showing their softer side.
"Walking out to the rescue, they were kind of arguing -- 'I'll carry
the baby.' 'No, I'll carry the baby,' " McDaniel said. "I think
everybody pretty much took a turn holding the baby."
The rescue truck took the baby to Women & Infants Hospital, and she was
expected to be placed yesterday in the temporary care of the DCYF,
until she is medically cleared of any problems, said Dwyer. Then, she
is to be placed in foster care.
Under the law, the baby girl's parents have 90 days to reconsider
giving up their baby. After that, the DCYF will seek court approval to
terminate their parental rights, and the baby will be put up for
adoption.
If the mother changes her mind during the next three months, said
Dwyer, "She can come to us and we would work with her, assess the
situation, and make the determination of what is in the best interest
of the child."
The mother "has not foreclosed her options by doing this," he said, "On
the other hand, we would not give the baby back immediately, without
fully assessing the events that led up to this."
Dwyer said he did not know the identity of the baby's mother, nor would
the DCYF seek her out.
"The law really, I think, was intended so that parents who felt that
they had no other option could do this without a lot of interference
and without criminal charges, so we will be available to the parent
should they seek us out but we are not going to actively seek her out."
With staff reports from Elizabeth Gudrais and Jack Perry.
Digital Extra: Read Rhode Island's Safe Haven for Infants Act, which
spells out the terms of surrendering a child, immunity from prosecution
and more, at:
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title23/23-13.1/INDEX.HTM
 BOSTON HERALD
Abandoned baby finds `Safe Haven'
By Jack Meyers
Tuesday, March 8, 2005
The first baby surrendered in Massachusetts under the so-called ``Safe Haven'' law passed last year was turned over to the Department of Social Services in Lowell over the weekend, officials said.
A DSS spokeswoman and Boston politicians, who championed the law, said this case shows the law is working as it was intended - barring prosecution of parents who abandon a newborn as long as the baby is handed over at a designated site, including fire stations, police stations and hospitals.
``Twenty-eight years ago, my brother Patrick was abandoned in South Boston,'' said Boston City Councilor John Tobin, who championed a home rule bill that paved the way for the state law.
Tobin said Patrick was ``lucky'' to survive the abandonment on the street. Other infants aren't so fortunate. Between 2000 and October 2004, when the Safe Haven law went into effect, 13 infants were abandoned in Massachusetts, six of whom died.
DSS spokeswoman Denise Monteiro said the baby is with a family who has applied to the state to adopt. ``The mother was also well cared for,'' Monteiro said.
She said the agency does not plan to publicize future cases of safely abandoned babies. However, it's important to show the law is working and the public is becoming more aware of it, she said. The Safe Haven hotline receives about 100 phone calls a week, she said.
Watch WCVB TV news video of campaign kickoff:
BOSTON HERALD
New ad campaign to spread message on safe haven law
By Jessica Heslam
Tuesday, January 4, 2005
Michael and Jean Morrisey will never forget ``Baby Rebecca Mary,'' the dead, abandoned baby they helped bury in 2001.
``We literally lowered a baby into the ground. We looked at her face. I don't ever want to see that again,'' Michael Morrisey said.
The Lexington couple joined other advocates yesterday to launch an ad campaign publicizing a new law that allows young mothers and fathers to anonymously leave their unwanted newborns at designated facilities.
Massachusetts became the 47th state to adopt the safe haven law in October. Under the law, parents can leave newborns at hospitals, police and manned fire stations without being criminally charged.
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State promotes awareness of new safe havens law
| 1/3/2005 - The Associated Press |
|
|
LEXINGTON, Mass. (AP) — State officials on Monday kicked off an awareness campaign of the new safe haven law, reminding young parents with posters and billboards that "If you can't keep your baby, you can keep your baby safe."
The law, which went into effect this fall, allows a parent to anonymously leave a newborn who is less than a week old at a hospital, police station or other designated area without facing any legal consequences.
The new awareness campaign, being spearheaded by the state Department of Social Services and a committee of public safety and hospital officials, includes posters on public transit and two billboards — one over the Expressway in Boston and one along the Massachusetts Turnpike in Worcester. It also includes a statewide safe haven hotline, 1-866-814-SAFE, and a new Web site, www.babysafehaven.com.
"Newborn abandonment is an avoidable tragedy that we are determined to stamp out in Massachusetts," Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey said at an awareness event in Lexington. "Working together, we will spread the word that every child, regardless of circumstance, can receive a loving, supportive start to life."
The awareness campaign is designed to promote the new law as well as teen pregnancy programs and adoption information.
In July, Massachusetts became the 46th state to pass a safe haven law. Before it went into effect, parents found guilty of abandoning a baby could face up to five years in prison.
UMASS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Mass. Baby Safe Haven law in affect
By Dan O'Brien, Collegian Staff
November 01, 2004
By Dan O'Brien
Collegian Staff
The Massachusetts Baby Safe Haven Law took effect this past Friday, October 29, making legal the act of placing newborns into the hands of officials at hospitals, police and fire stations across the state.
Massachusetts has become the 47th state to enact a law that provides places for mothers to drop off newborns. Baby Safe Haven advocates say that this law is especially important because it gives a newborn's parents the ability to place it into medical care in the crucial hours following birth.
Michael Morrissey, leader of the Massachusetts-based group "Baby Safe Haven Yes!" pushed for the bill's passage in the state house. He gave one example of a Connecticut couple who followed their state's Baby Safe Haven law by bringing it to the hands of a hospital worker. The hospital was not in Connecticut, but Massachusetts where no such law existed at the time.
Morrissey said the hospital took the baby into its care anyway. He added that it was probably a better idea that the parents brought the child to the Massachusetts hospital because the closest hospital to their home was located in Massachusetts. The couple lived on the boarder of Connecticut and Massachusetts.
"It was very cold when it happened," said Morrissey. "Bringing it into Massachusetts probably saved the baby's life."
The new Massachusetts law differs slightly from similar laws in other states. One main note in the law says that a newborn must be placed - specifically - into the hands of someone working at a hospital, fire, or police station.
"The Mass. Baby Safe Haven law decriminalizes the act of safely surrendering a newborn, under 7 days old that has not been abused, into the hands of fire fighting personnel at a city or town manned fire station, into the hands police personnel at a manned police station anywhere in the state, or into the hands of hospital personnel at any hospital in the state," said a Baby Safe Haven Law Yes! press release.
The new law has gained much support on the local levels of Massachusetts politics, according to Morrissey.
"I just went to Lowell General Hospital, Leominster Hospital and a couple others. Everyone I've talked to has been extraordinarily receptive. A lot of firefighters and police officers are in favor from experience," Morrissey said. "The town level support has been about 99 percent."
Morrissey said the Baby Safe law took three years to pass because a bill can easily get delayed on Beacon Hill. He claimed the legislative support was still there, adding that there was bipartisan support for the measure.
"In Beacon Hill, to keep a bill from passing all someone has to do is stop it by one day," he said. "Both Neral and Mass. Citizens for Life were in support of this. It is highly unusual to get a bill supported by both those groups."
Nationwide, the bill has shown bipartisan support as well. Governors that have signed a Baby Safe Haven Law include George Pataki (R-NY), Gray Davis (D-Calif.), Craig Benson (R-NH) and Jesse Ventura (I-Minn.). The first governor ever to sign the bill into state law was our current President, George W. Bush when he was Governor of Texas.
The Massachusetts bill has gained support from Hollywood as well. Patricia Heaton, who plays Deborah on the CBS sit-com "Everybody Loves Raymond," is featured in radio public service announcement supporting Baby Safe Havens in Massachusetts. The PSA is being distributed by MP3 to high school, college and commercial radio stations across the state. Heaton is the spokesperson for Baby Safe Haven laws across the country.
Since the idea of the bill was first created in 2000, there have been a total of 13 babies abandoned in Massachusetts, 6 of whom died. Two of the 13 babies were found this summer. One was found at a fire station in Southampton and another on the steps of a church in Martha's Vineyard.
One of the six babies that died was killed on the UMass Amherst campus in 2002. The baby belonged to Jennifer Paluseo, a 19-year-old freshman. The Plymouth, Mass. native allegedly gave birth to her baby in a James Hall dormitory shower stall and later placed her baby in the trash. The child was discovered deceased by a custodial worker the next morning.
Morrissey says the most important information to release to the public is that this law has been passed, so parents can know of such a law beforehand. He urges those who need to find a place for their newborn to visit the Baby Safe Haven's Web site, http://www.babysafehaven.com/ or call the New York Children Hope Hotline at 1-877-796-HOPE |
