OnFocus – In April 2019, Marylinn Feher and Allen Rice failed to care for their newborn baby resulting in the death of their day-old child. Their lives changed and the baby’s life was taken away. But it didn’t have to happen.
Last week, a law that is in place to help parents who don’t believe they can care for their child has again been overlooked in the wake of a tragedy. Sixteen-year-old Logan Kruckenburg-Anderson of Albany, Wisconsin murdered his infant baby due to concerns that he and his girlfriend would not be able to care for the child. Once again, it didn’t have to happen.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, the Safe Haven Law, also known as “Infant Relinquishment,” gives a parent the opportunity to leave their newborn in a safe place.
Under Wisconsin Law, a parent can leave their newborn with a Police Officer, 911 emergency medical staff person or with a hospital staff member. The parent can leave their child as long as the newborn is less than three days old, unharmed and the parent is not being forced by someone to give up the baby. The parents are exempt from penalty under law in this case.
Additionally, the parent has the option to fill out a form. The form includes the day and time the infant was born, the newborn’s race and if there were any problems with the pregnancy or delivery.
Leaving this information will help health care workers and the baby’s new parents or place of living ensure that the infant has the most opportunity to have a normal life.
If you have questions about how the Safe Haven Law works, you can visit the Wisconsin DCF website to learn more.
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