Safe Place For Newborns Law

The first hours of a newborn's life are the most vulnerable, therefore, the most urgent. There have been cases of mothers who have hidden their pregnancy, or didn’t know they were pregnant themselves, and a few have caused their newborn’s death unintentionally because they were unsure what to do at the time of birth.

In Minnesota, there is a law called the Safe Place for Newborns Law or “Safe Haven Law”, which provides a safe place for a mother, or a person who has the mother’s permission, to leave her baby with no questions asked. A mother may bring her unharmed newborn, up to 3 days old, to any hospital in the state of Minnesota, anonymously and free from the fear of prosecution. The hospital must not inquire as to the identity of the mother or call the police, provided the newborn is unharmed when presented to the hospital staff. The hospital may ask the mother or the person leaving the newborn about medical history, date of birth, etc, but she is not required to provide this information.

When an infant is left at a hospital using the Safe Place for Newborns Law, the hospital will provide any needed medical care. They will contact the local County Social Service office, who will assume custody of the baby, and place the child into foster care.

Safe Place for Newborns Law