At our 8/29/2019 meeting we had the pleasure of having Melissa Westphal at our meeting to share her story with the Safe Haven Act. Melissa attended as Jaron's guest speaker.
The Safe Haven act has had 37 children declared in Iowa since the law was enacted in 2002. Melissa reports that nationally there has been over 3,500 children declared through the Safe Haven Act.
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| Melissa speaks to our group about the Safe Haven Act |
The Safe Haven Act is a law that allows a parent to leave an infant up to 30 days old at a health care facility without fear of prosecution. They are also allowed to call 911 to relinquish parental rights and to confirm someone knows the location of an infant who was left at the health care facility. The act allows the parent to give medical information about the infant but does not require it. It also requires the health care facility to contact DHS and report the infant has been taken under the Safe Haven Act.
Thank you Melissa for sharing your families experience and bringing your very special guest with you!
