What are the Safe Haven signs on NY highways?

NEW YORK (PIX11) – If you’ve driven on any highway in New York, you may have passed by a sign Safe Haven sign.

The sign depicts a hand holding a baby’s head, usually with the wording, “Safe Babies. Safe Place. Safe Haven.” But what does the sign mean?

It was created by the National Safe Haven Alliance, a nonprofit whose goal is to prevent infant abandonment by providing parents with resources to create a safe post-birth plan. Texas was the first state to implement a Safe Haven law in 1999 before the rest of the U.S. followed, according to the nonprofit’s website .

New York’s Safe Haven law allows parents to relinquish their rights over an infant that’s 30 days old or younger by handing them over to any on-duty staff member at a hospital, police station or firehouse.

The staff member is then required by law to immediately notify the New York State Office of Children and Family Services . To find out more about New York’s Safe Haven law, click here .

Parents who choose to give up their infants in accordance with their state’s Safe Haven law will not face legal consequences and remain anonymous, according to the National Safe Haven Alliance.

The National Safe Haven Alliance has saved 4,913 babies since 1999. The nonprofit has rescued 82 babies this year alone.

If you need immediate assistance, you can call or text the 24/7 Safe Haven Crisis Helpline at: 1-888-510-BABY (2229). In case of an emergency, call 911.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018 . She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here .

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