Safe Haven Law
Are you alone and afraid? Please let us help you. There are safe and anonymous options for you and your baby.
The Guam Newborn Infant Safe Haven Act motto is “No Shame, No Blame, No Name”
How does the law work?
The law saves babies from unsafe abandonment. It says that parents who do not harm their baby will not be prosecuted for abandonment if they hand their newborn to a responsible adult at a Safe Haven location. It gives a desperate parent a responsible alternative.
The accepted locations that you can leave your baby are at GMH, GRMC, Sagua, and fire stations with EMS staff.
The infant must show no evidence of physical abuse and be less than 30 days old.
What do I say when I leave my baby?
At one of the accepted locations, you will need to relinquish (release) your baby to one of the staff members at the location and explain that you are handing over your infant to them under the Safe Haven Law.
You might be asked to fill out some simple medical information and important facts about your newborn, yourself, and the father, mainly for the reason of passing along information that might be important to the adoptive parents for the infant. The person who you are relinquishing your baby to will make sure that the baby is unharmed in any way, and if that is the case, then you will be free to go with no questions asked, and no trouble.
Toll Free Crisis Hotline
The National Safe Haven Alliance runs a toll-free hotline, 1-888-510-BABY, which you can call with questions.
Staff will be available to speak with and encourage any caller to make the right choice for themselves and their babies, whether it is a safe-haven relinquishment, adoption, or parenting.
For more information on Safe Haven laws vistit: https://www.nationalsafehavenalliance.org/