Pursuant to Louisiana Children’s Code – Article 1160
Introduction and Background
As required by Louisiana Children’s Code, Article 1160, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is submitting this report to both the House and Senate Committees on Health and Welfare regarding the Safe Haven Law.
A series of high-profile infant abandonment cases across the country prompted the Louisiana Legislature to combat the problem. In 2000, Louisiana enacted the Safe Haven Law, amending the Children’s Code Articles 1101 and 1193 and Title XVII of the Children’s Code, Articles 17011706, to provide for the Safe Haven relinquishment of newborns. The Code was further amended in 2003, 2018, 2021, and most recently in 2024. The entire Safe Haven Law, contained in LA Children’s Code Chapter 13, Articles 1149-1160, provides a safe, legal, last resort alternative to abandonment.
Through House Concurrent Resolution 107 of the 2016 Legislative Session, a Safe Haven Consortium was formed of representatives of emergency care facilities and key stakeholder groups to assist DCFS in developing and maintaining a registry of Safe Haven sites and to promote best practices related to the Safe Haven Law. This resolution was codified in Louisiana Children’s Code Article 1160. DCFS assists in organizing and facilitating the Consortium meetings. Included in Section 6.0 of this report is a summary of the Consortium’s activities and recommendations, as required in the Resolution.
Overview of Data and Demographics
The Department of Children and Family Services implemented policies and procedures in 2004 relating to the state’s Safe Haven Law, which have been updated by the agency each time the law has been amended. Since 2004, 96 infants were safely relinquished through the Safe Haven Law at the point of initial contact with the State. The charts below provide details on the 96 successful relinquishments. In addition, there has not been an infant abandonment since February 2019, when a parent left an infant on the grounds of a hospital but not in the hands of an employee, thereby not qualifying as a Safe Haven relinquishment.