While looking for adoption options for your newborn baby, you might have come across something called “safe haven” laws. But what exactly are they?
Safe haven adoption laws in Kansas and Missouri allow for a mother to relinquish custody of her healthy newborn baby to pre-approved safe locations and professionals without legal repercussions. Created as a response to tragedies stemming from the unsafe abandonment of newborns, safe haven laws allow a mother to safely give up custody of her child if she feels she cannot be a suitable parent.
“Baby drop off boxes” for safe haven laws rarely exist anymore; the law requires you to leave your unharmed child with any employee on duty at certain fire stations, city or county health departments or medical care facilities. From there, the employee will notify an adoption agency to proceed with a safe haven baby adoption in Kansas City. A mother will not be legally prosecuted for leaving her child at a safe haven location, and the safe haven laws will also protect her anonymity in doing so.
Some overwhelmed mothers are attracted to the idea of a baby safe haven adoption because it seems like an easy and risk-free solution, but choosing to relinquish custody of your child in this way may not your best option. Instead, you should know that it’s never too late to choose adoption — and working with Michael Belfonte will make that process as smooth as possible for you.
Even if you’ve already given birth to your baby, you can contact Michael at 816-842-3580 for free at any time to start the adoption process for your child.
So, why should you choose to make an adoption plan in Kansas and Missouri?
- Your baby will directly be placed into the custody of trained professionals at an adoption agency, like our partners at American Adoptions.
- You can choose which family adopts your child, and you can meet and get to know them prior to placement, if you wish.
- You can keep in contact with your child’s adoptive family to watch your child grow up happy and healthy.
- You know that your child is safely and quickly placed with a loving family, rather than leaving them at a safe haven location, where they may end up in foster care until they are adopted.
- Michael’s partners at American Adoptions will be available to you 24/7 at 1-800-ADOPTION to answer your questions and help you through the post-adoption process.
- With adoption, you can place your child months after they’re born. Safe haven laws are only applicable to infants 45 days old or younger in Kansas and 1 year or younger in Missouri.
- Like safe haven laws, choosing to place your child for adoption has no child abandonment legal repercussions for you.
- If you so choose, you can also remain anonymous in adoption. Your information will always be kept confidential by your adoption professional unless you wish to share it with your baby’s adoptive family and, if you wish to have the same amount of privacy provided by safe haven laws, you can choose a closed adoption.
- Adoption is completely free for you, and you can even receive financial support through the adoption process. You will also be entitled to counseling to explore all of your options and determine if adoption really is the best choice for your situation.
Remember, while safe haven baby adoptions in Kansas City may seem like the best solution, a better solution may be to place your baby for adoption with a qualified adoption attorney and adoption agency. To get started with your adoption, you can call Mike Belfonte at 816-842-3580 or contact him online here.