Safe Haven Law Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- The Safe Haven Law, also known as the Baby Moses Law, gives parents who are unable or unwilling to care for their child a safe, anonymous, and legal choice to leave their infant with an employee at a designated safe place—a hospital, fire station, free-standing emergency center, or emergency medical services (EMS) station.
- The baby must be 60 days old or younger and unharmed at the time of surrendering.
- You may take your baby to any hospital, fire rescue station, or emergency medical services station (EMS) in the state of Texas. The baby must be handed directly to a staff member at one of these locations and you must tell them that you wish to leave your baby at a Safe Haven.
- Call, text, or chat the hotline for your closest safe haven location: (800) 392-3352
- Some Safe Haven facilities where you choose to leave your baby may provide you with a voluntary form to fill out about the baby’s medical history. You are not required to answer any questions. This is NOT an attempt to obtain your identity. This information will be put in your baby's records and may help answer important health questions in the future.
- If you leave your baby at a fire station or EMS facility, they will give the baby immediate medical care and then transport the baby to a hospital. The hospital will take care of any additional medical needs that your baby may have.
- The state will take custody of the child to begin adoption proceedings.
- If you leave your unharmed infant at a Safe Haven, you will not be prosecuted for abandonment or neglect.
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