The Safe Haven Act, an Iowa law implemented in 2001, allows parents or another person who has the parent’s authorization to leave an infant up to 14 days old at a hospital or health care facility. A hospital or health care facility may be made aware that an infant is being placed in its custody when a parent or another individual authorized to relinquish physical custody of an infant comes to the facility or calls informing the facility of the location where an infant has been left. A parent or authorized person who leaves an infant at a Safe Haven cannot be charged with abandonment of the infant and does not need to go to court.
When an infant is left at a Safe Haven, custody of the infant is given to the Iowa Department of Human Services. Any identifying information given by the parent or authorized individual when leaving the infant is kept confidential. A hearing to terminate the rights of both parents will be held within 30 days, and the infant will be placed for adoption. When an infant is relinquished, the hospital or health care facility is not required to, but may ask the parent or authorized individual for the name of the parent or parents, the medical history of the infant, and the medical history of the infant’s parents.
For more information on Safe Havens and the requirements for both parents and Safe Haven facilities, please visit the Horn Memorial Hospital website at http://www.hornmemorialhospital.org/.
