Newborn's death spotlights baby 'safe havens'
The law is on your side. That is the message that AMT Children of Hope Foundation's James Kelly wants to send to women with unwanted pregnancies. Kelly spoke with News 12 Long Island in the wake of
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Apr 3, 2016, 1:33 AM
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Updated 3,209 days ago
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The law is on your side. That is the message that AMT Children of Hope Foundation's James Kelly wants to send to women with unwanted pregnancies.
Kelly spoke with News 12 Long Island in the wake of the arrest of Sharon Seudat, who is charged with murdering her infant who police say was a healthy newborn baby.
As News 12 has reported, under New York state law, a birth mother can relinquish an unwanted infant up to 30 days after the child is born without any questions asked.
"You can go into a hospital as a Jane Doe, give birth, and walk out without that child, without ever identifying yourself," said Kelly.
If the mother has already given birth to a child, she can drop the baby off at a police station, a firehouse, a church, or another safe haven location, without facing a penalty of any kind.
More than 3,000 babies have been safely relinquished under safe haven laws nationwide since the AMT Children of Hope Foundation began its work in the late 90s.
To contact their anonymous 24/7 hotline, call 1-877-796-HOPE.
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