Under Illinois’ Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act – known as the Safe Haven Law – unharmed infants 30 days old or younger can be handed to staff at a safe haven – a police station, fire station or emergency medical facility. No questions asked. You don’t have to give your name. The police will not be called. Your baby will get medical care and be adopted.
Illinois Schools Are Required To Teach the Safe Haven Law
Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/27-9.1a (b)(9) requires all classes that teach comprehensive personal health and safety
and comprehensive sexual health education to teach about the safe relinquishment of a newborn, as provided in the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. This Illinois law is sometimes referred to as a safe haven law. 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.
Teacher’s Kit – Safe Haven Curriculum
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.
Free Materials, Posters and Brochures
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.
Additional resources are available in our Resource Library and can be accessed by clicking here.
