Changes made to NC's 'safe surrender' law

TRUST

>> WE ARE LEARNING THAT A BABY

IS OKAY AFTER IT WAS ABANDONED

IN A TRASH DUMPSTER IN

GREENVILLE YESTERDAY AND NOW

CHILD SAFETY ADVOCATE. WE'RE

CALLING FOR MORE PUBLIC

EDUCATION ABOUT THE STATE'S

SAFE SURRENDER. LAW LEGISLATORS

MADE SOME CHANGES TO A RECENTLY

WRL'S CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF

LAURA LESLIE JOINING US NOW

IN THE STUDIO WITH A SOME

INFORMATION HERE. WHAT IS

ALLOWED NOW UNDER THOSE CHANGES

IN LAURA, OF COURSE, STATE

LAWMAKERS LAST YEAR GAVE

PARENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME

TO SURRENDER A CHILD IF THEY

CHOOSE TO DO SO. THEY DID.

YOU KNOW, SINCE ABOUT 2001,

NORTH CAROLINA'S HAS HAD A 7

DAY WINDOW IN WHICH

>> A PARENT CAN SURRENDER A

CHILD TO A SAFE, A DULL WITHOUT

HAVING TO GIVE THEIR NAMES ARE

FACING ANY KIND OF CRIMINAL

CHARGES. AS LONG AS THE BABY

SHOWS, NO SIGNS OF ABUSE OR

NEGLECT. THAT WINDOW IS NOW

30 DAYS, NOT 7 CHILD SAFETY

ADVOCATES THINK THAT COULD HELP

TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF

NEWBORNS WHO ARE ABUSED OR

NEGLECTED OR ABANDONED ON

SAFELY. LIKE WE JUST SAW BY

GIVING NEW PARENTS A LITTLE

MORE TIME TO CONSIDER WHETHER

THEY'RE ABLE AND WILLING TO

CARE FOR A NEW BABY SHOW.

PARENTS HAVE MORE TIME NOW.

BUT LAWMAKERS, THEY DID PUT

SOME LIMITS ON WHO EXACTLY A

BABY CAN BE SURRENDERED TO THE

DAY INTO LESS STRONGLY

RECOMMENDED THAT A BABY, THE

SURRENDER TO HEALTHCARE

WORKERS, SOCIAL WORKER OR

EMERGENCY RESPONDER. BUT IT

DIDN'T REQUIRE THAT. BASICALLY

YOU COULD LEGALLY SURRENDER

YOUR BABY TO ANY ADULT. THERE

ARE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT

WHETHER THAT LOOPHOLE COULD

BE USED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

THE NEW LAW SAYS THE SURRENDER

HAS TO BE MADE TO A HEALTH CARE

PROVIDER FIRST RESPONDER OR

SOCIAL SERVICES WORKER AND THEY

HAVE TO CONTACT THE LOCAL

DIVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES

RIGHT AWAY TO GET THAT BABY

PLACED SAFELY INTO FOSTER CARE.

IT ALSO REQUIRES A COURT

HEARING AND PUBLIC NOTICE THAT

A BABY WAS SURRENDERED

ANONYMOUSLY JUST IN CASE THE

OTHER PARENT OR FAMILY MEMBERS

WANT TO TRY TO GET CUSTODY OF

THAT CHILD. I KNOW THIS.

THIS IS A BIG QUESTION HERE.

BUT IF YOU COULD KIND OF A

NARROW DOWN A BIT, WHAT DOES

HAPPEN WITH THE BABY WHEN IT

IS SURRENDER? YOU KNOW, THE

PARENT ACTUALLY WHO SURRENDERED

IT ACTUALLY GETS A 60 DAY

WINDOW TO RECLAIM THE CHILD IF

THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND. IF THE

CHILD ISN'T CLAIMED BY A PARENT

OR RELATIVE WITHIN 60 DAYS,

SOCIAL SERVICES STARTS THE

PROCESS OF TERMINATION OF

PARENTAL RIGHTS AND THAT CHILD