An article last week on newsok.ok reported that the twins left at a Pottawatomie County Fire Department may soon be eligible for adoption. Before the twins can be placed for adoption, authorities must terminate the parental rights of the mother who left her two newbors at a Shawnee fire station in May.
The twins, a boy and a girl, were found in a laundry basket in the bed of a parked firetruck with a note that read “Take care of my babies. I’m poor and can’t do it.”The children were left under Oklahoma’s safe haven law, which allows a parent to leave a baby up to 7 days old with a medical services provider without fear of prosecution. Drop off points include police stations, fire stations, child protective services agencies, hospitals or other medical centers.
Oklahoma legislature passed their safe haven law in 2001. Every state now has safe haven laws in place to protect both the mother and child who find themselves in circumstances that for whatever reason, the mother feels she has no choice but to abandon her newborn.
Safe Haven laws for each state may be found by clicking on the individual state on the map located on the homepage of this site.
