Opinion: Safe haven for abandoned babies

It is hard to know what would have happened to the newborn baby boy who was dropped off at the Pinellas Park fire station before dawn on Tuesday, had it not been for the state's amnesty law. Desperate and overwhelmed parents of newborns have been known to make deadly choices.

But "Baby K's" story has a happy ending. Rather than end up abandoned in a trash bin, the one-hour-old infant was transferred into the caring arms of firefighter Ken Vandermeir by a very young-looking man in a bloody T-shirt and shorts. It was the first time in Pinellas County a baby was dropped off under a law passed two years ago giving parents the ability to leave newborns at safe havens, no questions asked.

If the measure of a law is its positive impact on people's lives, this one just earned an "A."

Few of us can contemplate what drives someone to abandon their child, but it happens. A small fraction of parents are simply unable to cope with the new life they have created. Either due to lack of maturity, or mental and emotional capacity, these parents don't have the wherewithal to follow normal adoption procedures. Rep. Sandy Murman, R-Tampa, saw this tragic reality and sponsored the safe haven law to give these parents another option. The law gives parents anonymity and immunity from prosecution if a baby less than three days old is left at a hospital, doctor's office or fire station. State officials say they don't have exact numbers but Baby K isn't the first baby to be left in a safe place since the law's enactment.

The law puts the state's attention in the right place. Instead of spending resources to punish the parents for their irresponsibility, the state is directing its attention toward tending to the child's immediate health needs and making arrangements for his or her eventual adoption. This smart law exalts caring over punishment. The more publicity it receives, the more newborns may end up in capable hands instead of dangerous places.

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