Infant Surrendered Safely in Dorchester County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Will Batchelor
803-898-7835
Will.Batchelor@dss.sc.gov

April 5, 2023- Officials with Summerville Medical Center recently accepted an infant surrendered under Daniel's Law, the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, on Monday, April 3, 2023. The SC Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act provides a safe, legal option to surrender infants up to 60 days old, who have not been harmed, at designated locations. 

The Caucasian male was born on April 1, 2023 and weighed five pounds, 14.5 ounces and was 18.9 inches long at the time of birth.

The infant was safely surrendered at the Summerville Medical Center in Dorchester County. Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, Dorchester County DSS took custody of the newborn upon discharge from the hospital, and the infant has been placed in a licensed foster home.

A permanency planning hearing will be held on May 11, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. at the Dorchester County Family Court located at 212 Deming Way in Summerville. For more information on the hearing, please contact the Dorchester County Family Court at (843) 832-0360 or the Dorchester County DSS office at (843) 821-0444.

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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 third 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 as long as the infant has not been harmed in any way. For more information about the Safe Haven Act, known as Daniel’s Law, please click here. For a listing of crisis pregnancy organizations, please see this brochure.