Police not looking for baby's parents Police not looking for baby's parents (October 01, 2004)

State law allows safe, confidential surrender
by Teresa C. Brown

The Pleasanton police are not searching for the parents of the infant who was surrendered at ValleyCare Medical Center last week.

It was mistakenly reported last week in another newspaper that police were looking for the child's parents. Police clarified the report, adding that they did not suspect any criminal activity involved in this case, and the matter has been turned over to the Alameda County Social Services.

The child, a boy believed to be several hours old, was left with hospital staff about 7:30 a.m. Sept. 21 by an unknown woman, police said.

Under state law, a mother has up to 72 hours following a birth to give up custody of a healthy infant without questions or legal consequences, police said.

Before leaving the hospital, the woman told the medical staff that the child belonged to a friend.

The "safely surrendered baby" law went into effect in 2001. It allows a parent to surrender an infant younger than three days to a hospital without questions or fear of abandonment prosecution.

The parent can reclaim the infant within 14 days of surrender. If the child is not reunited with his or her parents, the baby is placed in a foster or adoptive home.

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