(WHTM) -- Pennsylvania's Safe Haven law is now 20 years old. It allows mothers to drop off newborns at specific locations without facing legal consequences.
One of those locations is any Pennsylvania hospital. abc27 spoke to two health systems about how they handle Safe Haven cases.
"This is clearly an avenue where we can help people," Geisinger chair of Emergency Medicine Dr. Ronald Strony said. "The first thing is to assure the health and safety of the baby."
Strony said he has never personally handled a Safe Haven case, but he says there have been at least two at hospitals where he has worked. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, 50 babies have been given up under the Safe Haven law since 2003.
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The law states people can drop off a newborn up to 28 days old at certain locations without legal consequences, as long as the baby is uninjured.
"They truly can just leave the baby in the bassinet," Janine Richard, Director of Clinical Services for Women and Children at WellSpan York hospital, said.
Richard said like Geisinger, WellSpan York has a specific location to receive babies.
"If they are feeling uncomfortable in any way, it takes away that anxiety," Richard said.
"We do have a Safe Haven designated by signage and located with a crib and a camera on it," Strony said of Geisinger's setup.
Once a baby is dropped off, pediatricians and physicians take over.
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"We would get the baby a medical exam as soon as we possibly could," Richard said.
Hospital staff also contacts Children and Youth Services. The agency is responsible for finding a long-term home for the newborn.
"They actually take responsibility then for making the medical decisions for the baby," Richard said.
Both Richard and Strony said this law is a safe option for children and their families.
"We understand that people may be in a situation that they didn't expect, that they have concerns about and may have fears about," Strony said.
"It is a safe option if someone is feeling as though they don't have another option," Richard said.
Under Pennsylvania's law, people can also give a baby to a police officer at a police station or an EMS worker.
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