First baby safely surrendered under enhanced Nebraska Safe Haven Law

A healthy infant was surrendered at a safe haven location in the northeast region of Nebraska thanks to a new state law.

The baby is now receiving care from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), a press release said. Medical privacy laws prevent the state from releasing any details.

“I want to thank Governor Jim Pillen and Senator Rick Holdcroft for their leadership in passing and signing the Safe Haven expansion bill into law last year,” Steve Corsi, CEO of DHHS, said in the release. “This expansion is vital to protecting our most vulnerable children, ensuring that every child has a safe place when it’s most needed.” 

Nebraska updated its Safe Haven Law in July, expanding the safe surrender period from 30 to 90 days and adding police and fire stations to the list of eligible surrender sites, according to WOWT. 

Nebraska first enacted its Safe Haven Law in 2008. From 2008 to 2024, 14 babies were legally surrendered at safe sites in the state. However, almost 200 babies under a year old were illegally abandoned during that same time, according to state data. 

Sen. Holdcroft, R-Bellevue, who introduced the expansion measure last year, has another proposal this year that would let fire stations install baby boxes to enable anonymous safe surrenders. Baby boxes are climate-controlled and built into the sides of buildings. They also immediately alert people in the fire station when a baby’s been left. 

“We’re just trying to get that baby to a safe place, and this is just another option to make that happen,” Holdcroft told reporters. 

Baby boxes generally cost around $20,000 each, according to Stateline. 

Texas enacted the first safe haven law in 1999, called the Baby Moses law. By 2008, every state had followed suit. 

The National Safe Haven Alliance operates a call and text hotline for anyone considering a safe surrender, which is reachable at 888-510-BABY (2229).