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Safe Place for Newborns
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Safe Place
for Newborns:
Mission
Key Tenets
FAQ
Hospitals:
Medical Questionnaire
For Hospitals
Helping out:
Start the Program
Guide to Starting a Program
How You Can Help
Safe Place Sponsors
Be sure to visit:
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Indiana: |
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You can leave your baby, up to 30 days old, with any emergency medical services provider in Indiana. |
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If I want to leave my baby with Safe Place for Newborns, where can I go?
You may go to the emergency room of any hospital in the state of Indiana and leave your baby with an employee. (Hospital employees usually wear name badges, either clipped to a pocket, or hanging from their neck.)
You can also give leave your baby with a firefighter, law enforcement officer, paramedic, emergency medical technician (EMT).
It is important to understand that you must leave your baby with a person, and not, for example, in a bathroom at a hospital. Newborn children need lots of tender care.
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Do I have to take my baby to the closest hospital?
No, you can take your baby to any hospital in Indiana.
If you aren’t sure where the hospitals are in Indiana, scroll down this page and click on the link that says, "Click Here to Find a Hospital in Indiana." This link will bring you to a list of Indiana cities that have hospitals, with links to tell you the address and phone number of the hospital.
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Your baby can be up to 30 days old.
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Do I have to take my baby to the hospital, or can I ask someone else?
The new law says that only a parent of the baby can bring the newborn to the hospital to leave with the program (click to read law).
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What happens to my baby after I leave the hospital?
The hospital will take care of any medical needs your baby may have. They will then contact its County Social Services. Social Services will place your baby in foster care, and after a period of time has passed (that time varies, depending on the county, but usually a few weeks) your baby will be eligible to be adopted. There are many families who are waiting to welcome children into their homes through adoption.
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What if I change my mind and want my baby back?
This question brings up an important point. When you relinquish your baby at a hospital with the Safe Place for Newborns program, you are also releasing your parental rights. That is why the hospital contacts its County Social Services department - Social Services will obtain custody of the baby, and place the child in foster care. After a period of time that ranges from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the County, your child will eligible to be adopted.
If you change your mind, and want to speak with someone about the possibility of regaining custody, you can contact the Social Services of the county where you brought your baby. If you don’t know what county the hospital is in, you can look it up on the Web, or simply call the hospital and ask.
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Where are the hospitals in Indiana?
This link will bring you to a list of Indiana cities that have hospitals, with links to the address and telephone number of the hospital(s). Use your web browser "back" button to return to this site.
Hospitals in Indiana
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Tell me about the Crisis Line?
Newborn Lifeline Network Crisis Line is a nation wide Toll Free Telephone number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you would like to speak to someone leaving your baby with the program, please call:
Toll Free 1-866-694-BABYor Toll Free: 1-877-440-2229
If you are interested in learning more about the program, please see the contact information listed below.
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In Indiana, you can contact:
To contact Safe Place for Newborns in Minnesota:
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Map will direct you to Safe Haven laws in other states.
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