No parent appears in court to claim Safe Haven baby boy
Notice: Undefined variable: article_ad_placement3 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/single.php on line 128
No one appeared in Washington County Court Monday morning to try to regain custody of a baby boy dropped off at Washington Hospital last month.
A public notice in the Observer-Reporter said the infant was taken to “Washington Hospital on March 21 immediately following the … child’s birth to unknown parents and left under the Safe Haven Program of Pennsylvania,” formally known as the Newborn Protection Act.
As is typical of Children and Youth Services’ cases involving dependent children, the baby Monday morning was not brought to Judge Katherine B. Emery’s courtroom, which was closed to the media and any other members of the public.
He is believed to be the sixth child entering the Safe Haven program in Washington County since it began in Pennsylvania in 2003. The first and second were a set of twins in summer 2006.
Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven program provides a safe and confidential option to protect infants, allowing parents to drop off babies up to 28 days old at any hospital in the state with no questions asked.
The program was instituted to avoid deaths among babies by parents who are afraid to reveal the mother’s pregnancy or identity, or who are unable to care for the infant.
“The intent of the law is that newborns not be victims of child abuse or for parents to be criminally liable,” said Kimberly Rogers, administrator of the Washington County Children and Youth Services agency.
As long as the child is unharmed, parents will not be asked any questions, nor do they have to provide any personal information, according to the state Department of Public Welfare.
While it is recommended, it is not required that the parent provide medical information for the child. A baby turned over to a hospital will receive necessary medical care, after which time the county’s child and youth agency will work to find the child a family.
“Newborns are placed directly into pre-adoptive care in Washington County,” Rogers said. “We have a list of pre-adoptive homes. This is really for a child’s permanency rather than moving from foster home to foster home.”