Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
4.10 Children and Infants
4.10.1 Newborns (Issued: 6/25/07)
The purpose of this policy is to comply with the California Statutes’ “Safely Surrendered Baby
Law,” which allows a parent who is unable or unwilling to care for their baby to safely surrender
the baby within three days of birth at a designated public or p rivate hospital emergency room or
any other location designated by resolution of the County Board of Supervisors. All that is
required is that the baby be given to an on -duty employee of a hospital or safe haven site in
California. An ID bracelet will be p laced on the baby’s ankle and a matching bracelet offered to
the surrendering person. The bracelets help connect the parent to the baby if the parent wants the
baby back.
A. Any on -duty, designated hospital emergency employee (e.g., Long’s Emergency
Depa rtment) is required to receive an infant at any time, with no prior notice. A parent
may leave a newborn at an authorized facility in the physical custody of an employee,
doctor or other medical professional working at the authorized facility if the newbor n:
1. Is 72 hours of age or younger as determined to a reasonable degree of medical
certainty and
2. Shows no evidence of abuse, as defined in the California Statutes.
B. A parent leaving a newborn is not required to provide any identifying information about
the newborn or parent and may leave the facility at any time; however, a good faith effort
must be made to provide the parent or person surrendering the child with a medical
questionnaire to complete. The parent or surrendering person is not obligated to complete
the questionnaire.
C. Officers responding to the Emergency Department upon receipt of a newborn surrender
report shall:
1. Attempt to confirm that the person leaving the newborn is the child’s parent.
2. Ask the parent if he/she wishes to identify either him/herself or the child’s parent.
The parent is not required to provide any identifying information.
3. Perform all reasonable acts to ensure the health and safety of the child.
4. Check infant for any visible signs of abuse.
5. Estimate if the infant is 72 days old or younger.
6. If the baby seems to be a newborn and there are no signs of abuse:
a. Ask the parent to fill out a voluntary health questionnaire about the infant.
The parent can take the questionnaire with them, fill it out and mail or
deliver it to any CPS location.
b. Notify local Cthat a newborn has been left at the facility and arrange for
immediate delivery of the infant to a CPS worker.
c. Record the receipt of the infant on the Incident Report.
d. Provide the CPS office with all information the facility has regarding the
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
newborn, in cluding the Incident Report.
e. Any subsequent inquiry regarding a surrendered newborn should be
directed to CPS.
7. If the baby shows signs of abuse or appears to be ill, it shall be immediately be
treated by the hospital.
8. If there is evidence of phy sical abuse or if the child is obviously greater than 72
hours old, the provisions of “Safely Surrendered Baby Law” may not apply and
an investigation shall be immediately conducted.
D. Under all circumstances, an incident report documenting the surrende r of the infant shall
be completed. The incident should be titled “Infant Surrender,” and a copy of any related
forms shall be attached.