Newborn baby surrendered by parents at Garland fire station
FILE - Feet of newborn baby held by adult hands at a hospital. (Photo by: Martha Barreno/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
GARLAND, Texas - Parents of a newborn baby surrendered their infant at a Garland fire station.
What we know:
Garland police say on Thursday around 5:45 p.m. a couple went to the North Garland Fire Station to give up their baby.
Paramedics took the baby and its mother to a hospital and found the newborn to be in perfect health. The mother is also said to be doing well and is stable.
The parents are not facing any criminal charges.
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What they're saying:
Garland police are commending the parents for making the tough decision to safely and legally give up their infant.
Police say it’s a critical reminder of the resources and support available for parents facing difficult life circumstances.
"We want to reassure parents that they have a legal and safe option to bring their newborn to a designated Safe Haven location," said Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan. "This ensures the baby receives immediate care and the opportunity for a safe future."
What we don't know:
We don’t know how old the baby was, but the Texas Safe Haven Law criteria require the baby to be 60 days old or younger.
It’s unclear why the parents had to surrender their baby. However, no explanation needs to be given under the Safe Haven Law.
Since the parents are not facing any criminal charges, their names were not released.
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What is the Texas Safe Haven Law?
Dig deeper:
Established in 1999, the Texas Safe Haven Law (also known as the Baby Moses Law) allows parents to legally surrender a newborn baby as long as they’re 60 days old or younger and are unharmed and safe.
The infant must be dropped off at a Safe Haven location, like fire stations, hospitals or EMS stations.
While a mother may voluntarily provide some information about why the baby is being surrendered, no explanation is legally required.
A flyer from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) explaining the law states, "No questions asked. No Police. No Prosecution."
Once the baby is medically cleared, DFPS will take custody of the newborn.
More info can be found here: dfps.texas.gov/child_protection/child_safety/resources/baby_moses.asp
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Garland Police Department, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and the Baby Moses Project.