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The Baby Moses Project was established to address an alarming
increase in newborns being abandoned in perilous places. In 1999, a
national spotlight was focused on a problem that deserves the attention
of all those who are concerned for the well being of the most vulnerable
in our society. Everyday countless women around the world face the
reality of an unplanned pregnancy. It is unfortunate, but it may never
be known exactly how many newborns are abandoned every year. In a 1998
study, 108 newborns were reported abandoned and of those, 33 died.
On June 6, 1999, then Governor George W. Bush signed the country's
first newborn abandonment bill into law know as “Baby Moses”. The Baby Moses
Law states that a parent
may leave an unharmed infant, up to 60 days old, at any 24-hour emergency infant care
provider with no questions asked and no penalty to the parent. This law not only
protects the life of the infant but also provides a responsible alternative for the
desperate parent. The Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County has taken the responsibility of educating
the community of this law by providing “Safe Baby Site” signs to all designated emergency
infant care providers. In Smith County, emergency rooms at both East
Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System and Trinity Mother Francis
Hospitals & Clinics, as well as the ten 24-hour fire stations are all
designated “Safe Baby Sites” with trained personnel to receive
hand-delivered infants.
The mission of each Safe Baby Site is to medically stabilize the infant , offer mother medical treatment and voluntary
medical disclosure forms. Each site must contact the
Department of Family and Protective Services Child Protective Services
to assume custody of the infant and place for adoption.

For information on how you can support the Baby Moses
Project in Smith County, contact
Brenda@cacsmithcounty.org.
You can also visit
www.babymosesproject.org
to learn more.
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