Chapter 1 : Section 5

Safe Haven for Newborn Infants

Procedures

Definitions and Criteria for Safe Haven Newborn Infant

An agent is someone who delivers the child to a Safe Haven provider on behalf of the parent.

A Safe Haven provider means any of the following:

• a staff member or volunteer at a licensed private child welfare agency or licensed adoption agency or church that posts a public notice;

• a firefighter on duty;

• an emergency medical technician (EMT) on duty; and

• a medical staff member at a health care institution (e.g., a hospital).

A parent or agent of a parent who leaves a newborn infant with a Safe Haven provider may remain anonymous, and the Safe Haven provider is not required to ask the parent or agent any questions. The Safe Haven provider immediately calls the Hotline upon receiving a newborn infant from a parent or an agent of a parent.

The Intake Specialist enters a Screened Out Intake if the following criteria for a Safe Haven newborn infant are met:

• the newborn infant is 30 days old or younger, or the date of birth is unknown, but the source believes the child is 30 days old or younger;

• the newborn infant has been voluntarily transported by the parent or agent of the parent to a Safe Haven provider per A.R.S. § 8-528 and A.R.S. § 13-3623.01; and

• a physical examination of the newborn infant at the hospital shows the newborn infant is unharmed and is 30 days old or younger.

The following situations do not fall within the Safe Haven for Newborn Infants statutory provisions and are taken as a Report:

• The newborn infant is alleged to have been a victim of child abuse or neglect.

• The physical examination results in suspicion of abuse or neglect that meets criteria as a DCS Report.

• The child is believed to be an alleged victim in an open DCS Report.

In the above situations, the Intake Specialist will request the name, date of birth, and other identifying information about the mother, child, and alleged father from the source.

Required Physical Examination of Newborn Infant

All Safe Haven newborn infants must be examined at a hospital.

If the reporting source is not a hospital, the Intake Specialist will advise the reporting source to immediately transport or arrange for the newborn infant to be transported to a hospital for a physical examination. The Intake Specialist will enter a Screened Out Intake and notify an Intake Supervisor of the Safe Haven pending physical examination.

If the reporting source is a hospital and states an exam has not yet been completed, the Intake Specialist will ask the hospital to call back upon receiving the results of the physical exam. The Intake Specialist will enter a Screened Out Intake and notify an Intake Supervisor of the Safe Haven pending physical examination.

If a physical exam has been conducted and it is determined the newborn infant is unharmed, the Intake Specialist will enter a Screened Out Intake, select the Safe Haven Screened Out Indicator, and notify an Intake Supervisor of the intake.

If a physical exam is completed and it is determined the newborn infant has been harmed, the Intake Specialist will enter a DCS Report, and notify an Intake Supervisor of the intake.

Coordinating Taking Custody of the Newborn Infant

When the Intake Supervisor is notified about a Safe Haven newborn intake, the Intake Supervisor will immediately contact and email the Intake Program Manager. The Intake Supervisor will also complete the Notification to Hotline Management email template and send it to the Hotline Management inbox.

The Intake Program Manager will:

• call the hospital that performed, or will perform, the physical examination, inform hospital staff that the Intake Program Manager is the point of contact, and share next steps;

• obtain the name and contact information of the individual that will serve as the point of contact for the hospital; and

• contact a licensed adoption agency to coordinate custody of the infant.

If the Safe Haven provider is a licensed private adoption agency or a church that is affiliated with a licensed private adoption agency that has the ability and desire to take custody of the infant, the Intake Program Manager will:

• confirm with the adoption agency that they are a licensed adoption agency and can take custody of the infant within 24 hours from the completion of the physical examination;

• obtain the agency name, point of contact, address and phone number; and

• document all efforts and information obtained in the initial Screened Out Intake, and, if relevant, update the agency’s record in Guardian.

If the Safe Haven provider or licensed adoption agency does not have the ability and desire to take custody of the infant, the Intake Program Manager will:

• Immediately contact the next licensed private adoption agency from the Active Adoption Agencies list in Guardian. Contact the agency with the oldest “Last Contacted” date. The Intake Program Manager must contact the adoption agency within eight hours of notification of the original call about the Safe Haven infant.

• Inform the agency that there is a Safe Haven infant and that their agency has been identified to take custody of the infant. Confirm that the agency will take custody of the infant within 24 hours after completion of the physical examination.

• If the agency is not able and willing to take custody of the infant, contact the next agency on the Active Adoption Agencies list until a licensed private adoption agency is located that is able and willing to take custody of the infant.

• If the agency does not answer the phone and there is no ability to leave a message or the agency fails to contact the Hotline within 30 minutes of the Hotline leaving a message, contact the next agency on the list.

When an adoption agency has confirmed their willingness and ability to take custody of the infant, the Intake Program Manager will:

• provide the name and contact person for the hospital where the infant is located and advise the agency to contact the Intake Program Manager when they have taken custody of the infant;

• contact the hospital and provide the adoption agency name and contact information for the individual that will arrange custody of the infant; and

• document the name of the agency that will take custody of the infant in the Adoption Agencies Section of the Intake Screened Out tab of the initial intake.

Confirmation of Custody Taken

The Intake Program Manager confirms that the licensed private adoption agency took custody of the newborn infant within 24 hours after completion of the physical examination.

If no telephone call was received, the Intake Program Manager calls the agency to confirm they took custody of the infant.

If the adoption agency is unable to take custody, the Intake Program Manager will contact the next adoption agency on the rotating list. If no adoption agency takes custody of the newborn infant within 48 hours after the completion of the physical examination, the initial Screened Out Intake will be changed to a DCS Report and the assigned DCS Program Supervisor will be notified of the new Report.

Documentation

The Intake Program Manager will document all actions taken and information received into Guardian. Apply a Safe Haven indicator to the initial Screened Out Intake.

After confirmation that the adoption agency has taken custody of the Safe Haven infant, the Intake Program Manager will notify the next Adoption Agency on the rotating list of their position. The Intake Program Manager will confirm contact information and perform updates on the Adoption Agency record in Guardian.

 

Effective Date: November 3, 2025

Revision History: February 4, 2005, November 20, 2018, April 16, 2019, February 1, 2021 , September 29, 2021, October 3, 2023