Local officials are spreading the word about the options available to mothers. Next week, county supervisors are expected to declare February Safe Surrender Month.
Last year there were six newborns safely surrendered here in Kern County. And there have been a total of 63 babies safely surrendered since 2006. “Safe surrender was a little new to me, so it was exciting and neat and we’re blessed with it,” said Ali Davis, a mother to a son who was safely surrendered. Four-year-old Nathan Davis was one of those babies. The Davis family adopted him in 2013.
“It was in the middle of the week a social worker called and said hey we have this baby that needs a mommy and daddy and we were like I don’t know what are we gonna do,” said Davis. Nathan is the third adopted child for the Davis family. He was born early and they visited him every day for four months. “The day that we got to bring him home was extra special because we had spent four months trying to get him healthy enough to come home,” said Davis.
Even though the Davis family picked up Nathan from the hospital, mothers can also drop babies off, no questions asked, at fire stations. “Every kern county firefighter is trained in the safely surrender program, we have a medical kit at the station and a sign on the door,” said Brian Marshall the fire chief for the Kern County Fire Department.
And the Davis family is happy Nathan is a part of the family. “He has literally been a blessing since day one. He is amazing,” said Davis. A child can be safely surrendered here in Kern County within the first 72 hours of birth.
