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CRANBURY: Baby abandoned to police
Thursday, June 11, 2009 12:52 PM EDT
By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer

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   CRANBURY — Police had their first run-in with the New Jersey Safe Haven program after an anonymous woman dropped off her baby at police headquarters in early May.

   Under the Safe Haven Infant Protection Act, which was enacted in New Jersey in August 2000, parents, or someone acting on their behalf, can bring a baby less than 30 days old to any hospital, emergency room or police station, according to www.njsafehaven.org.

   The Division of Youth and Family Services took the child into custody and will place the infant in a foster or pre-adoptive home, as the intent of the program is to protect unwanted babies from being hurt or killed because they were abandoned, the Web site states

   Around 4 p.m. on May 2, a woman driving on the N.J. Turnpike exited into Cranbury and found the police station, Police Chief Ed Kahler said.

   Although the baby boy was about 6 months old, police still proceeded to contact DYFS, he said.
   Police did not ask the mother any questions as the Safe Haven program allows a parent to drop off an infant without providing a name or any records.

   The mother waited there until DYFS workers arrived and proceeded to speak to their representative, Chief Kahler said.

   No medical treatment for either the child or the mother was required at that time, he said.

   Along with her baby, the woman dropped off a blanket, diaper bag, a carrier, a bottle and a stroller, Chief Kahler said.

   ”The bottom line is at least she had enough forethought to take advantage of Safe Haven and knows that the baby will be taken care of,” Chief Kahler said. “The baby’s safe and that’s the main thing.”

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Comments
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.

Jennifer wrote on Jun 25, 2009 6:53 PM:

" In Bensenville, IL at the Emblem Cemetary (beautiful with a windmill) I took pics for my photography class. I stumbled upon a grave labeled "Baby Boy Teddy: Abandoned but not forgotten. October 1985. We should get the "Baby Bins" like in Germany. We need to protect babies and young ones. I'm glad the mom had sense to let her baby go instead of starving and beating him to death. "

Jean Mike wrote on Jun 13, 2009 8:39 AM:

" We had a situation like this in MA. The Mom was an addict, and left her 3 month at a police station. grandparents soon came forward to care for her.
In this case it will be easy for family to track this baby down and reunify with proper family members. The possible alternative is to comb through waste bins and landfills. Then the safe haven detractors would have cried that the law didn't work.
Bottom line is the baby is safe! "

B wrote on Jun 12, 2009 5:02 PM:

" Maria Prato-Gaines should have included information reconciling the 30 day age limit under the Safe Haven Infant Protection Act and the child's apparent approximate age of 6 months. "

jac wrote on Jun 12, 2009 10:53 AM:

" This is NOT a safe haven baby! The child was abandoned and who even knows if the child belongs to someone else from another state! "

Thomas wrote on Jun 12, 2009 10:05 AM:

" Unreal. As a parent of seven children I am speechless that someone could just hand over their baby like that. But I bet she will suffer over what she did for the rest of her life. "


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