A bill expanding Florida’s “safe haven” policy is currently awaiting Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature after passing the state Legislature.
Under current “safe haven” laws, it is legal to surrender unwanted infants as long as they are delivered unharmed to a designated surrender location, such as a hospital or fire station.
The expanded bill would extend the deadline for women to deliver their newborns to 30 days from the current seven days. The bill would also authorize 911 dispatchers to arrange for an infant’s drop-off location if the child’s parents do not have transportation to the agency’s drop-off location.
Infant’s body found at University of Tampa, Florida
Under current “safe haven” laws, it is legal to surrender unwanted infants as long as they are delivered unharmed to a designated surrender location, such as a hospital or fire station. (Safe Haven Baby Box)
“Basically, I think people just wanted to give mothers more time. And other states have a 30-day grace period, which is a really positive thing,” she said. Nick Silverio, the shelter’s CEO, told FOX 13.[The mother] You may be experiencing postpartum. She may have had some medical condition while delivering her baby…this gave her more time. ”
An adoption agency in St. Petersburg, Florida, says now is the perfect time to expand the Sunshine State’s six-week abortion ban after it goes into effect.
“I think we’ll see for six weeks.” [abortion] If we ban it, there will be more. I’ve been in the child welfare field for over 30 years, and we’re seeing more and more children coming to us for care,” Connie Going of Going Adoption and Surrogacy told FOX 13.
DeSantis argues in Florida lawsuit seeking to block Biden’s Title IX changes
A bill expanding Florida’s “safe haven” policy is currently awaiting signature from Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. ((Photo credit: SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images))
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“I think there will be more adoptions in the future,” she continued. “I think we’re going to see a lot more child care, which means we as a community need to provide services to support families.”
The bill was introduced after an infant was found dead in a dumpster on the University of Tampa campus last week. Her mother told police she gave birth to the baby in her dormitory bathroom, where the baby cried briefly before dying, court records show, FOX 13 reported.
The mother initially stated that she did not know she was pregnant, but later denied to police that she was pregnant, and it is possible that she had not had her period for about a year. he said.
