Child protection: safe surrender

A parent or lawful custodian can safely surrender a child up to 30 days old at designated sites without prosecution for specified child-abandonment offenses. The law also requires schools to teach students about this option as part of pregnancy instruction.

What the law does ​

• Expands eligible safe surrenders to children 30 days old or younger at designated hospitals, county sites, and local fire-agency sites.
• Requires on-duty site personnel to accept surrendered children, arrange medical screening and needed care, and notify child protective services or a county child welfare agency within 48 hours.
• Requires child welfare agencies to take temporary custody, investigate, begin dependency proceedings, notify the State Department of Social Services, and report specified child information to missing-children databases.
• Protects the confidentiality of identifying information about the surrendering parent or custodian.
• Requires grades 7 through 12 sexual health education to include information about safe surrender for children 30 days old or younger.

Who it affects ​

• Parents and other people with lawful custody of children 30 days old or younger.
• Hospitals, designated safe-surrender sites, local fire agencies, and their personnel.
• County child protective services and child welfare agencies.
• School districts, instructors, and students receiving comprehensive sexual health education.

Context ​

The prior age limit was 72 hours after birth.