Ontario, Newborn baby boy abandoned outside fire hall in Georgina,14 May 2019

[dotr]

Newborn baby boy abandoned outside fire hall in Georgina | The Star
"A newborn baby boy dropped off outside a Georgina fire station was discovered overnight by firefighters, York police say.

“I can’t, in 27 years, ever think or remember this happening,” York Region Police Duty Insp. Andy Graham said."
The infant, who appears to be only a day or two old, was found just after 3 a.m. on Tuesday at the Sutton fire hall at 37 Snooks Rd., Graham said.

“The newborn has been transported to hospital as a precaution. The baby appears healthy,” he said."

 

[dotr]

Newborn abandoned at Georgina fire station, York Regional Police say
"Police said the newborn boy swaddled in a scarf was found at the staff entrance at the rear of Georgina Fire Station 1-6, located in Sutton, Ont. just after 3 a.m.

Georgina Fire said crews had been out at another call and when they returned a crew member heard an infant crying. The baby was transported to hospital as a precaution to be assessed."

"It is unknown how long the baby was outside the fire hall.

Police said the baby is in good health and Children’s Aid Society is involved. They are now looking for the mother and are concerned for her health and safety.

It is unknown if any charges will be laid in this case."
“We wouldn’t want to discourage anyone who is struggling or going through a hard time from doing just that. If you can’t handle your baby take it to somewhere where someone can help you"

 

[Sweetsbeach]

How many times has it been echoed on websleuths that we wished a parent had dropped off their baby rather than making him or her the victim of some unthinkable crime? Leaving an infant outside a hospital, a fire or police station is so much better than the alternatives we discuss here. There is someone out there who for whatever reason, couldn't handle the the responsibilities that come with parenting this child, and whoever that is did the right thing in my opinion.

 

[ilovematt]

Swaddled in a scarf, eh? That seems strange. The person who surrendered him was brave and selfless. So many cases go a different way.

 

[AC's Grandma]

Does Canada have the safe haven law?

 

[dotr]

2018 rbbm
Safe havens needed for unwanted babies in Toronto, advocates say

"All 50 states in the U.S. and several countries throughout the European Union have “safe haven” legislation in place that allows parents to leave children in a secure location and walk away without identifying themselves. Proponents of the system said it allows parents coming from vulnerable situations to ensure a baby’s safety while preserving their own anonymity.

But Canada has no such law on the books, a situation the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness would like to see changed.

“There’s nothing. There’s no resources or places to go or things to do,” president Helena Kameka said in a telephone interview.

“All there is is the fear of the parent.”

Kameka said abandoning a child is not illegal in Canada so long as the baby is unharmed.

But she said widespread ignorance of this fact sometimes prompts parents to take desperate steps which could paradoxically leave them open to charges if caught.

Kameka said her organization has been lobbying the Ontario government on the issue for years without success, saying she’s unsure as to why efforts have met with so much resistance.

Despite its widespread adoption outside of Canada, safe havens have come in for strong public criticism from some prominent international voices.

In a 2012 report, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child called for an outright ban on such spaces, which are often referred to as “baby boxes.”

“They are a bad message for society,” said Maria Herczog, a Hungarian child psychologist on the UN committee. “Instead of providing help and addressing some of the social problems and poverty behind these situations, we’re telling people they can just leave their baby and run away.”

 

[Woodland]

Glad this baby is safe.

It's frightening imo to think someone may have given birth alone or unassisted by a doctor/midwife. We don't even know if the mother willingly gave up her baby - maybe an overbearing parent/bf left the baby at the firehall and she is helpless and without means to do anything about it.

I don't like knowing the fire department was out on a call and came back to find this baby - a little to coincidental imo. But that's another matter altogether.

Doubting the mother is from York Region or gave birth in the area. Sutton is such a small out of the way town - how many know where it is without looking it up? It's not very difficult to get to though.

If she is found, it's my vote her identity not be published if she's an adult. I also don't think LE should be the first to approach her - maybe a public health nurse, social worker? It's prudent to determine that she is OK following the birth and abandonment (obvious problems exist), but no need to charge her or put her on probation or anything else. A DNA test to determine she is in fact the mother might be in order as well, and the father should be named and tested - this might be important to the baby later in life and possibly make an adoption easier.

Best of luck to her in the future.

 

[dotr]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-police-seek-parents-of-abandoned-baby-1.5136810
May 15, 2019
"The infant boy was found in a patch of grass beside the fire station, police said Wednesday in a news release. He was wrapped in a grey scarf and was wearing a blue knit toque.

Police believe the baby was left there sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m."

"Investigators with the York police Special Victims Unit are asking for the public's help to identify the baby's parents or other family members. They are also repeating their calls from Tuesday that the mother seek medical attention and check in with police "as soon as possible," the release said."

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

if it is not illegal to leave a baby so long as said baby is unharmed, why the push to find the mother? I don't understand - in places with safe haven laws - why they try to try to find the mother... Seems the opposite intent of the law.

 

[dotr]

if it is not illegal to leave a baby so long as said baby is unharmed, why the push to find the mother? I don't understand - in places with safe haven laws - why they try to try to find the mother... Seems the opposite intent of the law.

Guessing that one reason is that they want to make sure the mother has not come to harm....
imo.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Guessing that one reason is that they want to make sure the mother has not come to harm....
imo.

But the whole point is to be anonymous; otherwise, moms would put these babies up for adoption, give them up at the hospital; give them to someone else at birth. I thought that is why they look like old fashioned milk chutes at fire stations. Might as well add a log there to sign-in.

Safe. Haven.

Regardless, glad this baby is ok and will hopefully have a good life with someone who wants a baby.

 

[Woodland]

But the whole point is to be anonymous; otherwise, moms would put these babies up for adoption, give them up at the hospital; give them to someone else at birth. I thought that is why they look like old fashioned milk chutes at fire stations. Might as well add a log there to sign-in.

Safe. Haven.

Regardless, glad this baby is ok and will hopefully have a good life with someone who wants a baby.

A trusted intermediary might work - someone that could confirm to LE mom is OK and has been medically tended to. LE would be ripped to pieces if they didn't check and something went wrong. Documentation is also important imo - parents names etc - for the future sake of the child if nothing else. Jmo.

 

[kaen]

Thanks to the birth parent for leaving the baby in a safe place. We have seen too many situations where the outcome is far more egregious and tragic.

 

[borndem]

Does Canada have the safe haven law?

That's my question -- most states in the US do have safe-haven laws. I think it's a wonderful alternative for someone who can't or won't be able to support a new baby. The provision can make it also a place to hide a child from the other parent, but if someone is hiding a baby from someone else, there is often a good reason to do so.

Safe-haven laws (also known in some states as "Baby Moses laws", in reference to the religious scripture) are statutes in the United States that decriminalize the leaving of unharmed infants with statutorily designated private persons so that the child becomes a ward of the state. "Safe-haven" laws typically let parents remain nameless to the court, often using a numbered bracelet system as the only means of linking the baby to the parent. Some states treat safe-haven surrenders as child dependency or abandonment, with a complaint being filed for such in juvenile court. The parent either defaults or answers the complaint. Others treat safe-haven surrenders as adoption surrenders, hence a waiver of parental rights (see parental responsibility). Police stations, hospitals, and fire stations are all typical locations to which the safe-haven law applies.[1]
Safe-haven law - Wikipedia

----------------------------------​

Safe have should not be confused with "Safe Place" --
What is Safe Place?

Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people under the age of 18 (up to 21 years of age in some communities) in need of immediate help and safety. As a collaborative community prevention initiative, Safe Place designates businesses and organizations as Safe Place locations, making help readily available to youth in communities across the country. Safe Place locations include: libraries, YMCAs, fire stations, public buses, various businesses, and social service facilities.
What is Safe Place?

 

[LadyL]

But the whole point is to be anonymous; otherwise, moms would put these babies up for adoption, give them up at the hospital; give them to someone else at birth. I thought that is why they look like old fashioned milk chutes at fire stations. Might as well add a log there to sign-in.

Safe. Haven.

Regardless, glad this baby is ok and will hopefully have a good life with someone who wants a baby.

there is no safe haven law here

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

there is no safe haven law here

Thanks, yes, I understand that - I thought we were kinda going a little O/T and just discussing the idea of "safe havens" more in general. But you're right - it absolutely does not apply here.

 

[MsFacetious]

Thank you for giving this baby boy a chance. Whoever gave birth to him, I hope you are alright. Thank you.

 

[dotr]

Police locate mother of baby boy found outside Sutton fire hall
"York regional police say they have located the mother of a newborn baby boy who was found outside a fire station in Sutton early last Tuesday morning.

Police say the mother is safe and in good health, but they would not comment on the mother’s age or her mental state at the time that the baby was abandoned and that includes whether or not post-pardum depression may have been a factor.

Police say no charges have been laid at this point but would not deny that charges could be laid in the future."