If you have a newborn that you're unable to care for, you can bring your baby to a designated safe place with no questions asked. The safe haven laws—also known as Baby Moses laws—give parents who are unable to care for their child a safe and legal choice to leave their infant with an employee at a designated safe place—a hospital, fire station, free-standing emergency center, or emergency medical services (EMS) station. When left at such a designated safe place, your baby will receive medical care and be placed with an emergency provider.
In Pennsylvania, the Safe Haven Law, also known as the Newborn Protection Act, allows a parent to leave a newborn baby up to 28 days old at a hospital or with a police officer at a police station without fear of arrest or prosecution for abandonment, as long as the baby has not been harmed. The law's intent is to protect newborns from being abandoned in unsafe environments. When a baby is left at a designated safe place, they will receive medical care if needed and be placed with a child welfare agency that will then arrange for placement with an emergency care provider or foster family. The parent may remain anonymous under this law, and the safe haven provider is not allowed to pursue the identity of the parent or question them if they choose to leave the baby safely. It is important for parents to understand that this law provides a safe alternative to abandonment and ensures the well-being of the child.