BabySafeHaven
11-01-2004, 03:25 AM
MASSACHUSETTS
http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/11/01/4185e21fc638b
Mass. Baby Safe Haven law in affect
By Dan O'Brien, Collegian Staff
November 01, 2004
By Dan O'Brien
Collegian Staff
The Massachusetts Baby Safe Haven Law took effect this past Friday, October 29,
making legal the act of placing newborns into the hands of officials at
hospitals, police and fire stations across the state.
Massachusetts has become the 47th state to enact a law that provides places for
mothers to drop off newborns. Baby Safe Haven advocates say that this law is
especially important because it gives a newborn's parents the ability to place
it into medical care in the crucial hours following birth.
Michael Morrissey, leader of the Massachusetts-based group "Baby Safe Haven
Yes!" pushed for the bill's passage in the state house. He gave one example of
a Connecticut couple who followed their state's Baby Safe Haven law by bringing
it to the hands of a hospital worker. The hospital was not in Connecticut, but
Massachusetts where no such law existed at the time.
Morrissey said the hospital took the baby into its care anyway. He added that
it was probably a better idea that the parents brought the child to the
Massachusetts hospital because the closest hospital to their home was located
in Massachusetts. The couple lived on the boarder of Connecticut and
Massachusetts.
"It was very cold when it happened," said Morrissey. "Bringing it into
Massachusetts probably saved the baby's life."
The new Massachusetts law differs slightly from similar laws in other states.
One main note in the law says that a newborn must be placed - specifically -
into the hands of someone working at a hospital, fire, or police station.
"The Mass. Baby Safe Haven law decriminalizes the act of safely surrendering a
newborn, under 7 days old that has not been abused, into the hands of fire
fighting personnel at a city or town manned fire station, into the hands police
personnel at a manned police station anywhere in the state, or into the hands
of hospital personnel at any hospital in the state," said a Baby Safe Haven Law
Yes! press release.
The new law has gained much support on the local levels of Massachusetts
politics, according to Morrissey.
"I just went to Lowell General Hospital, Leominster Hospital and a couple
others. Everyone I've talked to has been extraordinarily receptive. A lot of
firefighters and police officers are in favor from experience," Morrissey said.
"The town level support has been about 99 percent."
Morrissey said the Baby Safe law took three years to pass because a bill can
easily get delayed on Beacon Hill. He claimed the legislative support was still
there, adding that there was bipartisan support for the measure.
"In Beacon Hill, to keep a bill from passing all someone has to do is stop it
by one day," he said. "Both Neral and Mass. Citizens for Life were in support
of this. It is highly unusual to get a bill supported by both those groups."
Nationwide, the bill has shown bipartisan support as well. Governors that have
signed a Baby Safe Haven Law include George Pataki (R-NY), Gray Davis
(D-Calif.), Craig Benson (R-NH) and Jesse Ventura (I-Minn.). The first governor
ever to sign the bill into state law was our current President, George W. Bush
when he was Governor of Texas.
The Massachusetts bill has gained support from Hollywood as well. Patricia
Heaton, who plays Deborah on the CBS sit-com "Everybody Loves Raymond," is
featured in radio public service announcement supporting Baby Safe Havens in
Massachusetts. The PSA is being distributed by MP3 to high school, college and
commercial radio stations across the state. Heaton is the spokesperson for Baby
Safe Haven laws across the country.
Since the idea of the bill was first created in 2000, there have been a total
of 13 babies abandoned in Massachusetts, 6 of whom died. Two of the 13 babies
were found this summer. One was found at a fire station in Southampton and
another on the steps of a church in Martha's Vineyard.
One of the six babies that died was killed on the UMass Amherst campus in 2002.
The baby belonged to Jennifer Paluseo, a 19-year-old freshman. The Plymouth,
Mass. native allegedly gave birth to her baby in a James Hall dormitory shower
stall and later placed her baby in the trash. The child was discovered deceased
by a custodial worker the next morning.
Morrissey says the most important information to release to the public is that
this law has been passed, so parents can know of such a law beforehand. He
urges those who need to find a place for their newborn to visit the Baby Safe
Haven's Web site, http://www.babysafehaven.com/ or call the New York Children
Hope Hotline at 1-877-796-HOPE
http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/11/01/4185e21fc638b
Mass. Baby Safe Haven law in affect
By Dan O'Brien, Collegian Staff
November 01, 2004
By Dan O'Brien
Collegian Staff
The Massachusetts Baby Safe Haven Law took effect this past Friday, October 29,
making legal the act of placing newborns into the hands of officials at
hospitals, police and fire stations across the state.
Massachusetts has become the 47th state to enact a law that provides places for
mothers to drop off newborns. Baby Safe Haven advocates say that this law is
especially important because it gives a newborn's parents the ability to place
it into medical care in the crucial hours following birth.
Michael Morrissey, leader of the Massachusetts-based group "Baby Safe Haven
Yes!" pushed for the bill's passage in the state house. He gave one example of
a Connecticut couple who followed their state's Baby Safe Haven law by bringing
it to the hands of a hospital worker. The hospital was not in Connecticut, but
Massachusetts where no such law existed at the time.
Morrissey said the hospital took the baby into its care anyway. He added that
it was probably a better idea that the parents brought the child to the
Massachusetts hospital because the closest hospital to their home was located
in Massachusetts. The couple lived on the boarder of Connecticut and
Massachusetts.
"It was very cold when it happened," said Morrissey. "Bringing it into
Massachusetts probably saved the baby's life."
The new Massachusetts law differs slightly from similar laws in other states.
One main note in the law says that a newborn must be placed - specifically -
into the hands of someone working at a hospital, fire, or police station.
"The Mass. Baby Safe Haven law decriminalizes the act of safely surrendering a
newborn, under 7 days old that has not been abused, into the hands of fire
fighting personnel at a city or town manned fire station, into the hands police
personnel at a manned police station anywhere in the state, or into the hands
of hospital personnel at any hospital in the state," said a Baby Safe Haven Law
Yes! press release.
The new law has gained much support on the local levels of Massachusetts
politics, according to Morrissey.
"I just went to Lowell General Hospital, Leominster Hospital and a couple
others. Everyone I've talked to has been extraordinarily receptive. A lot of
firefighters and police officers are in favor from experience," Morrissey said.
"The town level support has been about 99 percent."
Morrissey said the Baby Safe law took three years to pass because a bill can
easily get delayed on Beacon Hill. He claimed the legislative support was still
there, adding that there was bipartisan support for the measure.
"In Beacon Hill, to keep a bill from passing all someone has to do is stop it
by one day," he said. "Both Neral and Mass. Citizens for Life were in support
of this. It is highly unusual to get a bill supported by both those groups."
Nationwide, the bill has shown bipartisan support as well. Governors that have
signed a Baby Safe Haven Law include George Pataki (R-NY), Gray Davis
(D-Calif.), Craig Benson (R-NH) and Jesse Ventura (I-Minn.). The first governor
ever to sign the bill into state law was our current President, George W. Bush
when he was Governor of Texas.
The Massachusetts bill has gained support from Hollywood as well. Patricia
Heaton, who plays Deborah on the CBS sit-com "Everybody Loves Raymond," is
featured in radio public service announcement supporting Baby Safe Havens in
Massachusetts. The PSA is being distributed by MP3 to high school, college and
commercial radio stations across the state. Heaton is the spokesperson for Baby
Safe Haven laws across the country.
Since the idea of the bill was first created in 2000, there have been a total
of 13 babies abandoned in Massachusetts, 6 of whom died. Two of the 13 babies
were found this summer. One was found at a fire station in Southampton and
another on the steps of a church in Martha's Vineyard.
One of the six babies that died was killed on the UMass Amherst campus in 2002.
The baby belonged to Jennifer Paluseo, a 19-year-old freshman. The Plymouth,
Mass. native allegedly gave birth to her baby in a James Hall dormitory shower
stall and later placed her baby in the trash. The child was discovered deceased
by a custodial worker the next morning.
Morrissey says the most important information to release to the public is that
this law has been passed, so parents can know of such a law beforehand. He
urges those who need to find a place for their newborn to visit the Baby Safe
Haven's Web site, http://www.babysafehaven.com/ or call the New York Children
Hope Hotline at 1-877-796-HOPE
