Safe Haven laws

Safe haven laws have been enacted as an incentive for parents in crisis to safely relinquish their babies to designated locations where the babies are protected and provided with medical care until a permanent home is found. Safe haven laws generally allow the parent, or an agent of the parent, to remain anonymous and to be shielded from criminal liability and prosecution for child endangerment, abandonment, or neglect in exchange for surrendering the baby to a safe haven.

Either parent may surrender their baby, less than thirty (30) calendar days old, to a safe haven.

Safe haven providers include a hospital, emergency medical services provider, healthcare facility, police or fire station, a volunteer fire station, other law enforcement agencies, or the Department of Family Services (DFS). Safe haven providers are required to accept emergency protective custody of the infant and provide any immediate medical care that the infant may require. If the safe haven provider is not a hospital, the provider must immediately transport the infant to a hospital, and contact DFS within twenty-four (24) hours to initiate a Safe Haven Report.

Delivering parent: A parent who delivers a child to an emergency services provider as part of the Safe Haven process. Delivering parents are not required to provide any identifying information, however, may share any information they wish. The delivering parent, by leaving the infant, and unless they return for the infant, is deemed to voluntarily relinquish parent rights to the infant

Non-delivering parent: A parent who did not deliver a child to an emergency services provider as part of the Safe Haven process.

DFS immediately places the infant in protective custody and takes action to attain safety and permanency for the infant.

If abuse and/or neglect is suspected or identified, the safe haven laws do not apply, and DFS proceeds to assess the parent(s) functioning.

Refer to State of Nevada MTL # 0512-02082018 Safe Haven Response for further information.