Supervisor Don Knabe

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the fifth time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby boy. This most recent Safe Surrender occurred on Monday, Sept. 27m at a hospital in Montebello. As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“I am grateful to hear that a mother, who found herself in a desperate situation, made the better choice for herself and her baby boy by safely surrendering him at a hospital,” said Supervisor Don Knabe. “Thanks to the courage and bravery of this mother, her baby now has a second chance at life and the opportunity to grow up with a loving family. Though we have been able to save the lives of 147 babies so far, we need to continue working to enlighten others that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers to get their baby into safe hands and protect them from abandonment. Thank you to our partners in the media who help carry the message that there is always a better choice.”

This is the fifth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2016, and the 147^th since the program began 15 years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.