Infant Safely Surrendered in Richland County Under Safe Haven Act

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

Infant Safely Surrendered in Richland County Under Safe Haven Act

April 16, 2024 – Healthcare professionals at Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Richland County recently accepted an infant surrendered under Daniel’s Law, the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, on Monday, April 15, 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 male infant was born on April 15, 2024 and weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces pounds at the time of birth and measured 16.93 inches long.

The infant was safely surrendered at the hospital after birth and is being medically evaluated at this time. When discharged, this infant will be placed in a DSS licensed foster home. Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, Richland 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 10, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. at the Richland County Family Court, located at 701 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201.

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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 third 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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