Safe Haven

Richard A. Sokerka

Since 2000, New Jersey has had in place the Safe Haven Infant Protection Act. It allows an individual to give up an unwanted infant safely, legally and anonymously. The parents — or someone acting on their behalf — can leave an unharmed baby less than 30 days old with staff at any hospital emergency room, police station, fire station, ambulance, first aid or rescue squad in the state. The N.J. Department of Children and Families then ensures that the infant is placed with a foster or pre-adoptive home.

Fast forward to today and over the last 19 years, 71 babies have been legally surrendered through the Safe Haven Infant Protection Act.

That’s the good news. Unfortunately, recent news reports from across the state show not only a severe lack of knowledge about the Safe Haven Act in New Jersey but also show no respect for life as more new mothers are abandoning or killing their newborns.

Most recently, we read the sickening news reports about an 18-year-old Neptune High School student who suffocated her newborn before the baby’s father threw him in a dumpster and a Little Ferry mother who killed her 5-day-old daughter because “she didn’t want her child.”

Disturbed by these needless infant deaths, State Assemblyman Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) has sponsored a bill (A1380) requiring school districts in the state to provide students in grades 9 through 12 with information on the Safe Haven Act.

“Had these new mothers taken advantage of the Safe Haven law, these babies would be alive today,” he said. “We need to be able to reach young people before it’s too late. In the unfortunate event someone is expecting an unwanted child, they can anonymously surrender their baby and there are no repercussions.”

According to Bucco, “Education and awareness are so important. It empowers people to make the right decision.”

Bucco is right about education and we hope for swift passage of his bill so that it can become law and more young people know the Save Haven Act exists so more babies’ lives can be saved.

But, beyond educating our young about the Safe Haven Act, we need our secular society to teach our young about respecting life from conception to natural death and to stop treating a life as a disposable item. If society continues to disrespect life, these horrific assaults on life will only continue.