Safe-haven law (original) (raw)

Safe-haven laws (also known in some states as "Baby Moses laws", in reference to the religious scripture) are statutes in the United States that decriminalize the leaving of unharmed infants with statutorily designated private persons so that the child becomes a ward of the state. All fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have enacted such statutes. In some places, a baby hatch or "baby box" is provided to allow babies to be safely dropped off anonymously and without encountering other people.