Infant Safely Surrendered in Georgetown County Under Safe Haven Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: DSS Office of Communications and External Affairs
803-898-7602
publicinfo@dss.sc.gov

Infant Safely Surrendered in Georgetown County Under Safe Haven Act

March 2, 2026- Officials at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Georgetown recently accepted an infant safely surrendered under Daniel’s Law, the state’s Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

The white baby girl was born on February 24, 2026, at the hospital, and weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20.75 inches long at the time of birth.

The infant was safely surrendered at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Georgetown County soon after birth. Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, Georgetown County DSS took custody of the infant. A medical evaluation was completed, and the infant has been placed in a licensed foster home.

A Permanency Planning Hearing and Termination of Parental Rights Hearing will be held on April 29, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Georgetown County Family Court, located at 401 Cleland Road, Georgetown, S.C. Persons who believe they have parental rights to this child are required to attend the hearing to assert those rights. 

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Editor’s note: The Department of Social Services has made a dedicated page on the agency’s website regarding Daniel’s Law in South Carolina with current data. This is the second Daniel’s Law baby surrendered in South Carolina during the 2026 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 an infant up to 60 days old. For more information about the Safe Haven Act, known as Daniel’s Law in South Carolina, please click here. For a listing of crisis pregnancy organizations, please see this brochure.