Safe Surrender Marks Milestone

Outside of the emergency room at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, there is a safe place for infants.

The Safe Surrender area is situated in a quiet, shady part of the property, with a large nook that opens up so that babies can be placed inside. It is part of the Safe Surrender program, based on the state’s Safe Haven Law, that protects newborns from being injured or killed due to abandonment. Safe Surrender allows parents or legal guardians to confidentially hand over infants three days old or younger to any hospital ER, fire station, or other designated Safe Surrender Sites.

“Inside the ER, you can see a signal that goes off when the door is opened, and there are also cameras,” said Kathy Roche, marketing manager at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. “The video is in black and white, and it blocks the person’s face, so you can’t see who it is.”

Once the ER staff is notified, they race outside to get the infant, after allowing the parent or guardian time to leave.

The program has been in Los Angeles County for ten years, with 87 babies having been turned in. As of August 24, in 2011 there have been four Safe Surrenders, and zero abandonments.

At Pomona Valley, “We’ve had less than a dozen over the past ten years,” said Roche.

There are small statues and plants surrounding the Safe Surrender area, and seating on the brickwork. Roche has seen people near it, and then a few days later, a baby has been placed in the nook.

“You have to wonder if it’s related,” she said. 

This afternoon, Supervisor Don Knabe will be in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Safe Surrender, as well as promote the program. For more information on Safe Surrender, visit www.babysafela.org.