State Rep. Linda Gentile (D‑Ansonia, Derby) is pleased that a bill she supported to educate parents about Safe Haven laws has passed the House of Representatives on a 127 – 23 vote.
“The Safe Havens program has been there for young women in some of the most desperate moments of their lives,” Rep. Gentile said. “Sometimes young mothers are not aware of all their options, but this bill will ensure that women are informed about the safe haven program and laws. The more people are educated about the Safe Haven program, the more infants can be saved from abandonment.”
House Bill #7273 will:
- Teach Safe Haven laws in schools to avoid tragic consequences of young mothers not being aware of all of their options.
- Require the Department of Children and Families to provide the State Board of Education with instructional materials relating to the safe haven law
Since its passage in 2000, Connecticut’s Safe Havens law has saved 27 infants from abandonment and near certain death. The law allows anyone to drop off a newborn baby (30 days old or younger) at any hospital emergency room in Connecticut. The person dropping off the baby will remain anonymous, and the police will not be called.
The bill also allows the State board of education to issue an occupation instructor permit to an applicant that is under contract or employed by a private occupational school to teach nursing.
The bill will now be heard before the Senate.
