Infant Safely Surrendered in Dorchester County Under Safe Haven Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Danielle Jones
803-898-7602
publicinfo@dss.sc.gov

Infant Safely Surrendered in Dorchester County Under Safe Haven Act

September 6, 2023 – Healthcare professionals at Summerville Medical Center recently accepted an infant surrendered under Daniel’s Law, the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. 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 bi-racial male was born on September 2, 2023 and weighed eight pounds and was 19.2 inches (48.8 cm) long at the time of birth.

The infant was safely surrendered after birth at the hospital. Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, Dorchester County DSS took custody of the newborn, and after discharge from the hospital, the infant will be placed in a licensed foster home.

Any person wishing to assert parental rights must do so at the Permanency Planning Hearing, scheduled for November 2, 2023, at 1:30 pm at the Dorchester County Family Court, located at 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 29483.

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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 sixth Daniel’s Law baby surrendered in South Carolina during the 2023 calendar year.

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.