Infant Safely Surrendered in Anderson County Under Safe Haven Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
803-898-7602
publicinfo@dss.sc.gov

Infant Safely Surrendered in Anderson County Under Safe Haven Act

May 6, 2024 – Healthcare professionals at AnMed Hospital in Anderson County recently accepted an infant surrendered under Daniel’s Law, the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, on Friday, May 3, 2024. The SC Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act provides a safe, legal option to surrender infants up to 60 days old at designated locations outlined by law.

The Caucasian female infant was born on May 3, 2024, and weighed 8 pounds, 13.1 ounces at the time of birth, and measured 20.75 inches long.

The infant was safely surrendered at the hospital after birth, medically evaluated, discharged, and placed in a DSS licensed foster home. Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, Anderson County DSS took custody of the infant.

Any person wishing to assert parental rights must do so at the Permanency Planning Hearing, scheduled for June 13, 2024, at 9:45 a.m. at the Anderson County Family Court, located at 100 South Main Street, Anderson, SC 29624.

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Editor’s note: The Department of Social Services has made a dedicated page on the agency’s website regarding the history of Daniel’s Law in South Carolina with available data going back to 2009. This is the fourth Daniel’s Law baby surrendered in South Carolina during the 2024 calendar year.

DSS released a new series of public service announcement videos on Daniel’s Law in August 2023. To see the ads, please click here and here.

A safe abandonment such as this is a perfect time to remind the public that the SC Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act provides a safe, legal option to surrender babies up to 60 days old. For more information about the Safe Haven Act, known as Daniel’s Law, please click here. For a listing of crisis pregnancy care organizations, please see this brochure.

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