1. A. The purpose of the Maryland Safe Haven Program is to provide the mother of a newborn the opportunity to provide a safe abandonment of her newborn by:

   1. (1) Providing immunity from civil liability and criminal prosecution for a mother who leaves an unharmed newborn with a responsible adult person under certain circumstances;
   2. (2) Requiring the approval of the responsible adult with whom the newborn is left;
   3. (3) Requiring a responsible adult who accepts the newborn to take certain action as soon as reasonably possible; and
   4. (4) Providing immunity from civil liability and criminal prosecution for certain persons, hospitals, and other facilities under certain circumstances.

2. B. The goals of the Maryland Safe Haven Program are to:

   1. (1) Provide for safe abandonment of a newborn with a responsible adult under circumstances where the mother of the newborn does not express a plan to return for the newborn;
   2. (2) Offer the mother of a newborn an opportunity to leave her unharmed newborn, whose age may be determined with a reasonable degree of medical certainty, with a responsible adult;
   3. (3) Provide appropriate medical care for a newborn abandoned to a responsible adult; and
   4. (4) Provide for a long-term plan of care of the abandoned newborn.

Authority: Human Services Article, §4-207; Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, §5-641; Annotated Code of Maryland
(Agency Note: Federal Statutory Reference—42 U.S.C. §629a)

Effective date: November 24, 2003 (30:23 Md. R. 1651)

Regulation .02B amended effective August 23, 2010 (37:17 Md. R. 1184)