If you have a newborn that you're unable to care for, you can bring your baby to a designated safe place with no questions asked. The safe haven laws—also known as Baby Moses laws—give parents who are unable to care for their child a safe and legal choice to leave their infant with an employee at a designated safe place—a hospital, fire station, free-standing emergency center, or emergency medical services (EMS) station. When left at such a designated safe place, your baby will receive medical care and be placed with an emergency provider.
In Texas, the Baby Moses law, also known as the Safe Haven or Safe Surrender law, allows a parent to surrender an unharmed infant, 60 days old or younger, to a designated safe place without fear of prosecution. The designated safe places include hospitals, fire stations, free-standing emergency centers, or EMS stations. The law's intent is to provide a secure and legal option for parents who are unable to care for their newborns and to ensure the baby's safety and well-being. When a baby is surrendered, they will receive medical care if necessary and will be placed with an emergency provider. The parent surrendering the child does not need to provide any identifying information, and as long as the baby has not been harmed, the parent will not face criminal charges for abandonment or neglect.
