KEY POINTS

  • Parents in Nevada who cannot afford to raise children can find comfort in the promises of the state’s Safe Haven law
  • Calls for surrendering parental rights came amid local police probes into the death of an infant found in a Las Vegas dumpster during the weekend
  • Babies can be surrendered under the law provided that they do not show signs of abuse

Children’s welfare groups in Las Vegas are encouraging new parents in the area who cannot afford raising a child to surrender their newborn babies to respective centers for children following the discovery of a dead baby in a dumpster near Las Vegas Boulevard North and Carey Avenue.

According to CBS affiliate KLAS-TV, Nevada’s Safe Haven law offers parents the option to surrender an infant not more than a month old to any of the following entities or individuals: fire stations, hospitals, ambulance drivers, or urgent care facilities.

While the law allows for surrendering infants without question, there is a critical aspect of the said regulation that parents should be aware of. Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer Tim Szymanski noted that parents who leave their child “unattended” and those who “abandon” babies, can face charges.

Furthermore, the “no question” aspect of Nevada’s Safe Haven law is only applicable to babies who do not display any signs of abuse either from the parents or anyone else.

Medical Director for UMC Children’s Hospital Nevada’s Pediatric Emergency Department Dr. Jay Fisher added that parents who want to surrender their children can approach the hospital for assistance.

Heightened calls for surrendering babies came amid grief and mourning around North Las Vegas after local police were contacted Sunday morning regarding an infant found in a dumpster at Carroll Street.

According to FOX5, police pronounced the infant, who is believed to be of Hispanic ancestry and between 1 and 6 months old, dead on the scene. Authorities have also called for assistance as they continue to track down the child’s parents.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office has yet to reveal the infant’s identity but residents around the neighborhood have already set up a memorial for the abandoned baby.

The coroner’s office is also expected to reveal the child’s cause of death in a few days. Investigators said they did not find apparent signs of abuse and there were no injuries on the baby’s body but official post-mortem results have yet to be released.

The official website of the Safe Haven law encourages parents to provide a child’s health information during the process of forfeiting custody, although it is not a requirement. Nevada’s Child Welfare Services can be contacted for appropriate assistance should a parent decide to regain custody of a surrendered baby.

Otherwise, after a baby is surrendered, Nevada’s local welfare agency will start searching for a new home for the infant. The agency will first take custody of the child and place him or her in a foster home until someone applies for adoption.

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