Florida 'Safe Haven' law expansion awaiting Gov. DeSantis' signature

TAMPA, Fla. - An expansion of Florida’s "Safe Haven" policy — which made it legal to surrender unwanted infants, as long as they are given up to specific agencies like hospitals, fire stations and EMS services unharmed — is sitting on Governor Ron DeSantis' desk awaiting his signature. 

The expanded law would allow women more time to drop off the newborn, from the current seven-day deadline, to 30 days. It would also authorize 911 dispatchers to arrange an infant drop-off location in case the child’s guardian has no transportation to an agency’s site.

"I think, basically, people were just wanting to give moms more time. And, other states have 30 days, and it's a positive thing, really," said Nick Silverio, the CEO of A Safe Haven for Newborns. "[The mother] might be going through postpartum. She might be going through a medical condition that she had delivering the baby… this just gives her more time."

READ: Florida's six-week abortion ban takes effect

An adoption agency in St. Petersburg said it’s a good time for this expanded law, given the six-week abortion ban that took effect in the state. 

"I think we're going to see with the six-week [abortion] ban, we're going to see an increase. I come from child welfare for over 30 years, and we're going to see an increase in those children coming in for care," said Connie Going of "Going Adoption and Surrogacy in St. Pete. "I think that we're going to see an increase in adoptions. I think we're going to see an increase in parenting, which means we as communities have to step up and provide services that support families."

This bill also comes just days after a baby was found dead in a garbage bin on The University of Tampa's campus last week. The baby's mother told police she gave birth in her dorm bathroom before it briefly cried and then died, court records said. 

The UT student also said she didn't know she was pregnant, and then later told police she may have been in denial about not being pregnant and hadn't had a period in about a year. 

The policymakers hope this law will prevent tragic situations like that. 

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