HARTFORD – Following last week's tragic news about the body of a newborn found in East Hartford, State Representative Gail Lavielle (R-143) lent her support Tuesday to a renewed effort by lawmakers and key stakeholders to raise awareness of Connecticut's Safe Havens law. The law, passed in 2000, allows distressed mothers to surrender their newborns safely and anonymously to a hospital emergency room within thirty days of birth without fear of prosecution for abandonment.
At Tuesday's press conference, Lavielle joined a bipartisan group of legislators along with officials from the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) and East Hartford's Health and Social Services Department to announce the formation of a public-private working group that will identify ways to help spread the word about the law. The group will be made up of legislators and representatives from Connecticut hospitals, universities, state agencies, media outlets, and nonprofits.
"It is essential that we spread the word to a new generation of people who were too young to be aware of the law when it was first passed," said Rep. Lavielle. "It is important that these often vulnerable young women, who must be experiencing terrible distress, know they have an option to surrender a baby safely that they otherwise cannot care for. This law truly creates a safe haven – both for the baby, and for the mother. I stand ready to help any individuals or local organizations that want to raise awareness of the law."
Under the law, when a mother surrenders her infant to the hospital, mother and baby are given matching bracelets so that if she changes her mind, she may come retrieve the infant within 30 days. After the 30-day period ends, DCF terminates the biological parent's parental rights and places the baby with a family who intends to adopt the child.
For more information, please visit the DCF's Safe Haven website: http://www.ct.gov/dcf/cwp/view.asp?a=2556&q=314392