Safe Place for Newborns

History

January 6, 2000: Dakota County Minnesota:

January 6, 2000 saw the introduction of a new and innovative program in Minnesota called Safe Place for Newborns.

Safe Place for Newborns (SPN) provides an alternative to a mother who might otherwise abandon her newborn. She can leave her baby at the hospital-anonymously, and free from the fear of prosecution.

SPN is a community-driven program. It began with Mrs. Lilly Riordan, who had read about a similar program called Secret Safe Place in Mobile, Alabama. Riordan took the idea to Fr. Andrew Cozzens, the (then) associate pastor at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. As Riordan and Cozzens presented SPN to the larger community, it’s elegant simplicity captured the public’s attention. The program quickly gained wide support.

Given Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom’s strong support of the program, Dakota was chosen as the first Safe Place for Newborns county in Minnesota. With Backstrom's leadership, SPN representatives, hospitals and Social Services of Dakota County, worked together to prepare for the January 6, 2000 launch.

At that time, it was the intent of SPN to implement the program throughout Minnesota by using a county-by-county approach. SPN was met with varying levels of enthusiasm by other Minnesota counties. It began to appear that advancing the program was going to be slow going indeed. But then, a little baby, found on a cold January morning in a trash can in Minneapolis showed Minnesotans the power that just one life can have.

The power of one:

This newborn, abandoned and left to die while only hours old, had a profound impact on society before the baby even had a name. The plight of this child* illustrated that even in “nice” Minnesota, such tragedies can occur.

Suddenly, everyone seemed to be talking about Safe Place for Newborns, and wanting to learn more about the program. Metro Area counties began making plans to implement the program in their counties. SPN representatives were invited to assist with drafting legislation that would make every county in the state a Safe Place for Newborns.

Safe Place for Newborns legislation was announced on January 31, 2000. SPN representatives worked with lobbyists from various professions related to the newborn abandonment issue, to see the bill through the legislative process. Archbishop Harry J. Flynn and Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch strongly supported the legislation. The bill was signed by the governor, and on April 19, 2000, Safe Place for Newborns became effective throughout the state.

Safe Place for Newborns law:

The bill was signed by (then) Minnesota Governor, and on April 19, 2000, Safe Place for Newborns became effective throughout the state.

Where do we go from here?

With the successful passing of the legislation, SPN now turns its attention to informing the public about the program. Legislation without publicity is ineffective. Using every medium available, it is the goal of Safe Place for Newborns to get word of the program to all Minnesota communities.

In addition to our statewide focus, SPN is pleased to act as a resource on the national level to other states considering implementing similar programs.

We have our work cut out for us. The year 2000 saw more than one hundred abandonments of newborn children across the United States-and these are just the incidents we know about. While no one can fully understand why anyone would abandon a child, we can work hard to provide a safe choice for a parent in a desperate situation. Even one child is too many.

Map will direct you to Safe Haven laws in other states.