Safe Infants Act

The Safe Infants Act allows parents to leave babies younger than 30 days old at a designated safe place. No one will call the police or ask for your name.

If you are pregnant and feel unable to your baby, don't leave the baby in a dangerous situation. There is help. Call the crisis line provided by the AMT Children of Hope Foundation toll free at (877) 796-HOPE (4673).

If you leave your baby in a designated safe place, the baby will get medical care and be placed with a family for adoption. If you do not contact the Cabinet for Health and Family Services within 30 days after leaving your baby in a safe place, the Cabinet will begin the process to terminate your parental rights.

You've Just Had a Baby

You have made a courageous decision to leave your baby in the safe and good care of a hospital, police station, fire station, emergency medical services provider or a staffed place of worship. Your baby will be well taken care of and, eventually, adopted into a safe, loving, permanent home. Now it's time to make sure you are healthy.

It's a good idea to see a doctor or go to the health department for an examination. For information about your local health department, call toll free (800) 462-6122.

More information on How to Keep Yourself Healthy

If you decide to keep your baby, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services offers services to help families stay together and safe:

Counseling
Referrals to needed services such as housing assistance, parenting skills or counseling
Food stamps
Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP)
Medical Cards
Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program (KCHIP)
Child-care assistance
Help with getting child support
Adoption information

Every child deserves a safe, loving, permanent home. You can help provide such a home by planning for adoption before your baby is born.

You can work with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services which carefully evaluates and checks backgrounds on all prospective parents before they are approved to adopt children. You also can contact a private agency about placing your baby for adoption.

For more information, call (502) 564-2136

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are safe places?

In Kentucky, you may leave a newborn baby younger than 30 days old with:

Staff at a hospital emergency room;
An officer at a police station;
A firefighter at a fire station;
An emergency medical services provider; or
Someone at a staffed participating place of worship.

What is the Safe Infants Act?

The Kentucky Safe Infants Act allows parents to leave newborn infants younger than 30 days old at a staffed police station, fire station, hospital or participating place of worship without fear of criminal prosecution or allegation of neglect. Safe place medical providers, firefighters, police officers or faith community staff ensure the child is seen at the nearest emergency room for an evaluation and contact child protective services. As long as there are no other indicators of abuse or neglect, the department opens a dependency action case. If the parents do not come forward within 30 days of placement, the department proceeds with termination of parental rights.

What happens at a safe place?

A police officer, firefighter, emergency services provider or staff member at a participating place of worship will arrange to have your baby taken to the nearest hospital for an examination and any needed medical care. The hospital also will notify the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the agency responsible for ensuring that the baby is adopted.

What can you do to help your baby?

You can fill out a form to give medical information about your baby. The information makes it easier to provide medical care for the baby. You can fill out the form when you leave the baby at a safe place or you can take the form and return it by mail.

You do not have to put your name on the form and all the information you provide will be confidential.

What are your rights as a parent?

If you do not contact the Cabinet for Health and Family Services within 30 days of leaving your baby in a safe place, the Cabinet will begin the process to end your parental rights. This process, called involuntary termination of parental rights, is permanent and means the Cabinet will ask a judge to remove any rights that you and the baby's other parent have to the baby. Once parental rights have been ended, the Cabinet can begin to make arrangements for the baby's adoption.

If you decide you want your baby back within 30 days of leaving the baby in a safe place, call toll free (877) 597-2331 (877-KYSAFE1).