Baby boy surrendered safely at Laurens County Hospital under Daniel’s Law

April 15, 2021

Laurens County, SC – Officials with Laurens County Sheriff’s Office recently accepted an infant surrendered under Daniel’s Law, The Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act on Friday, April 9, 2021.

The Caucasian baby boy was born on April 9, 2021 and weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces and was safely surrendered at the Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital. Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, Laurens County DSS took custody of the child.

A permanency planning hearing will be held virtually on June 17, 2021 at 2.00 p.m. For more information on the hearing, please contact the Laurens County DSS office at 864-833-0100.

The SC Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act provides a safe, legal option to abandonment for babies up to 60 days old. For more information about the Safe Haven Act, commonly known as Daniel’s Law, please click here.  

The act was named Daniel’s Law for a newborn baby boy who was rescued from a landfill, and nurses who cared for him dubbed him “Daniel.” According to the www.childwelfare.gov website, Texas was the first state to institute a safe haven law, in 1999, which prevented parents from repercussions if the baby was safely left in certain locations, including hospitals.

See more about the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act in next week’s issue of The Laurens County Advertiser.