Governor Jared Polis has signed a bill expanding Colorado's safe haven law, extending the window for parents to legally surrender a newborn to 30 days after birth. The change represents a significant extension from the previous 72-hour deadline. Hospitals and fire stations are among the designated locations where children can be surrendered safely and anonymously under the law.
Sara Wagner, executive director at Colorado Safe Haven for Newborns, characterized the original 72-hour window as arbitrary. The law was established in 2000, and Wagner said that three-day period was chosen to create urgency around the decision. Recent research on postpartum mental health informed the push to extend the deadline, and when the legislation advanced, Colorado was one of only six states that had not yet moved to a 30-day standard.
A central feature of the safe haven statute protects the anonymity of birth mothers. Under the law, the birth mother's identity is redacted completely, and she faces no legal repercussions for surrendering her child. This anonymity is designed to encourage parents facing difficult circumstances to use the legal process rather than pursue unsafe alternatives.
Bre Stemper, who adopted a child through the safe haven process, described her son's birth mother's decision as "incredibly courageous." Stemper and her husband adopted their son Dominic when he was 4 weeks old. She acknowledged the varied circumstances that may lead a mother to this choice, ranging from concealing a teen pregnancy to being unable to provide care due to personal or financial constraints. "I don't know if we'll ever get a chance to meet her, but if we do, I would just thank her from the bottom of my heart for what she did, because I'm sure it was incredibly, incredibly difficult," Stemper said.
State data indicates the safe haven law was used eight times in Colorado during the past year, with eight newborns surrendered. West Metro Fire Station 1 has not received a safe haven surrender in 11 years, according to a station spokesperson. Wagner noted that hospitals and fire departments seeking additional training on safe haven procedures can contact Colorado Safe Haven for Newborns. The expanded safe haven law takes effect in August.
