Illinois enacted the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act (Public Act 92-0432), commonly referred to as a “Safe Haven Law,” in August 2001.  The Safe Haven law allows a desperate parent to relinquish an unharmed infant legally, safely, and anonymously with no questions asked.

Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 5/27-9.1(c)(9) requires that the provisions of the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act be included in all school health education classes. The Save Abandoned Babies Foundation and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are pleased to provide this Teacher’s Kit to assist you in meeting this requirement.

This Safe Haven Law Teacher’s Kit is designed to help you educate your students about the law.  Your assistance in sharing this information with teenagers may reduce the number of tragic stories of abandoned babies in Illinois. Sharing this information will also provide teens dealing with unwanted pregnancies an option that protects them from the severe consequences – both legal and emotional – of abandoning their babies.

We also encourage you to order our free materials which can be used to display information about the law in your school.  Our posters (Don’t Panic, Help is Here and No Shame. No Blame. No Names.) are a great way to visually remind students of their options.  Additionally, the No Shame. No Blame. No Names. pamphlet is an important resource to have visible in the school nurse or social worker’s office.  We recommend placing the brochure in a location where a student can access it without having to ask for the information. Please click here for our order form to order any of these materials free of charge.  The Safe Haven Law should be a last resort.  We would love it if you would talk about the loving, responsible decision it is to place your child up for adoption.  Please click here for a list of adoption agencies you can provide to your class.   Wallet cards are also great to print and hand out to your students as you teach them about the law.  They’re the perfect size for the students to put in their wallets, purses, backpacks or even in their cell phone case.  Please click here to print the wallet cards.

Additional resources are available in our Resource Library and can be accessed by clicking here.