MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Some of Alabama’s largest cities could see later this year “baby safety devices” installed at fire stations under an expanded law that gives people more time and options for surrendering infants.
The legislation sponsored by Rep. Donna Givens, R-Loxley, goes into effect on Sept. 1 after getting Gov. Kay Ivey’s signature last week.
House Bill 473 expands the time frame in which a baby can be anonymously surrendered from three to 45 days. The bill also allows for large, box-type “baby safety devices,” usually built into the walls of fire stations or other emergency services buildings, where infants can be surrendered anonymously any time of day.
Givens last month said 10 boxes would be funded by a private donor and placed in the 10 largest cities near universities at 24/7 EMS stations.
Givens told Alabama Daily News the first device will likely be in Huntsville and they’re being ordered now.
“Fall will be the time frame,” she told ADN.
Givens has said the goal is to start with the 10 devices near college campuses and work up from there. She told ADN that two other organizations have contacted her to help with funding and placement of the devices.
“A Mobile County Fire Department has just contacted me and they want to buy additional boxes,” she said. “A Catholic Church in Mobile wants to help with additional funding.”
The Alabama Department of Human Resources supported the legislation and confirmed the anonymous donor sponsoring the initial devices.
“We believe the bill will reduce the risk of harm to infants by giving parents more choices and more time to surrender newborns safely in times of crisis,” Dominic Binkley, communications director for ADHR, said.
As of late May, six babies had been surrendered under what’s often referred to as the “safe haven” law since the start of fiscal year 2020, according to DHR. Binkley said that each surrendered child is handled on a case-by-case basis.
“All children who enter the department’s custody go into foster care,” he told ADN. “Each case is separate and handled based on the individual facts and needs of the child.”
The law also allows infants to be handed over, no questions asked, to hospital staff.
Co-sponsored by 34 other representatives, the law requires law enforcement agencies to investigate whether the surrendered child is missing.
Givens said that the goal of this legislation is to protect babies.
“No. 1 is to save lives,” Givens previously told ADN. “No. 2 is to put these babies in a loving environment that they can be cared for and seen after. No. 3 is to keep these mothers from being charged with manslaughter and to keep the babies out of ditches, out of Dumpsters, out of creek banks.”