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Newborn surrendered under Iowa’s safe-haven law

News

May 21st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another mother has surrendered her newborn to the state under Iowa’s safe-haven law. The Iowa Department of Human Services said in a news release Monday that the baby boy was born at an undisclosed Iowa hospital on May 12. The department says it’s the 15th time the state’s safe-haven law has been used since it went into effect in 2001. The law allows unwanted newborns ages 14 days or less to be left at any Iowa health facility with no questions asked. The child has been placed with a foster family that intends to adopt. A court hearing to terminate the birth mother’s parental rights will be held within a month. The state says that in all 14 previous cases, the safe-haven babies have been successfully adopted.