Safe Haven Laws

For some parents, pregnancy may come as an unplanned surprise. And not all families find themselves in a position to care for a newborn. However, there are resources available to help expecting parents avoid a crisis situation.Safe Haven laws allow parents to safely surrender their newborn to a designated Safe Haven provider. For people who find themselves in a position where they are not ready or are unable to care for a baby, this law protects newborns and helps keep them safe until their care can be determined. Host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez speaks with Heather Burner, the Executive Director of the National Safe Haven Alliance, to learn more about these laws, the impact they have on families, and the resources available to Arizona families.Host:Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Program Director for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She loves to spend time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, working towards normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions.Links: Arizona Safe Baby Haven FoundationNational Safe Haven AllianceStrong Families AZHost: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez