Nebraska officials announce second safe haven surrender since law's expansion

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced last week the safe surrender of an infant in accordance with the state's Safe Haven surrender law. Officials say the infant's surrender is the second since the state expanded its Safe Haven law last year.

Key Takeaways:

• Nebraska officials say an infant was safely surrendered on November 8, in accordance with the state's Safe Haven law.

• The law allows the surrender of infants 90 days or younger, within some parameters.

• Senator Rick Holdcroft announced he is also hoping to legalize Safe Haven Baby Boxes, which allow for anonymous surrender.

The Details:

Last week, officials announced the safe and successful surrender of an infant on November 8; the second since the law's expansion in 2024. To protect the privacy of these involved, no further details were provided.

Nebraska state Senator Rick Holdcroft said the expanded legislation is saving lives.

"It's working," Holdcroft said. "It's all about saving lives, saving babies' lives and giving families an opportunity to... make the right decisions in a crisis."

Governor Jim Pillen also released a statement praising the surrender.

“We’ve got to do everything we can to protect babies, and we have to step up to help moms in need," he said. "We took action and expanded Nebraska’s safe haven law to help babies that are vulnerable and ensure their safety. It’s not just that Nebraskans are pro-life, we’re pro-baby — which means being here to help babies and moms who are in tough situations.”

The Backstory:

In July 2024, Nebraska expanded its safe haven surrender law, allowing parents who feel unable to care for an infant to surrender that infant to an on-duty employee at a licensed hospital, staffed fire department, police station, or emergency care provider if the child is 90 days old or younger. As long as the surrender is done in accordance with the law, the parents will not be prosecuted.

According to DHHS, the parent is not required to provide any information when surrendering a child, however, helpful information they could choose to offer includes:

• Child's date and time of birth

• Pregnancy complications

• Known health concerns

• Indian tribe name, if applicable

• Medical, social, or family history

Explanation of Nebraska's Newborn Safe Haven Law

Zoom Out:

Sen. Holdcroft is also working to expand Nebraska's law to legalize surrenders made in Safe Haven Baby Boxes. These boxes are temperature-controlled, alarmed units installed in fire stations and hospitals to allow for the anonymous surrender of a baby.

"These would allow anonymous... surrender at fire stations. So right now, obviously, the parents have to surrender the child, in face-to-face. And so it's not anonymous," Holdcroft said. "I don't know if that would stop anyone, but it might. If it's just one person... being able to... surrender the child anonymously [it] would save another life."

The Bottom Line:

DHHS Children and Family Services Director Kathleen Stolz said the law can only be effective if the people who need it know about it.

“Since the Safe Haven expansion took effect, we’ve seen firsthand how impactful it can be for families in crisis,” she said. "But it only works when people know about it. We rely on organizations, local leaders and communities across Nebraska to continue sharing this message so every family understands that this safe option exists.”