A newborn girl brought to a hospital in Long Beach is the 11th infant to be turned over under the Safe Surrender law in Los Angeles County this year, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The infant, who was surrendered Friday, was placed in protective custody
and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of
Children and Family Services, Knabe said.

“The Safe Surrender program was created to give a mother, no matter
what the situation, a safe, secure and anonymous way to get her child into safe
hands and to protect a baby from abandonment,” Knabe said. “This story could
have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby
girl has a long life ahead of her.”

The infant was the 135th to be surrendered in Los Angeles County since
the program began nearly 14 years ago.

“No shame. No blame. No names,” Knabe often says.

The law allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than 3
days old at a fire station or hospital, provided there are no signs of abuse.
More about the program can be found at www.BabySafeLA.org.