Safe Havens | South Dakota Department of Social Services
Allows parents to legally surrender newborns to designated safe places. State law allows a parent to voluntarily leave their baby if the child is less than 60 days old and the child has not been harmed. Key provisions of this program include: the parent may be asked for medical information related to the baby's medical history; identification of themselves or the other parent are not required; leaving the baby at a Safe Haven location is not a crime; if a parent doesn't express intent to return for the baby, their parental rights will be terminated after 14 days. Those providers and agencies a parent may leave their baby with under this law are hospitals and clinics, law enforcement officers, licensed child placement agencies, any Department of Social Services office, emergency medical technicians, and firefighters.
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211 South Dakota
Physical Address
1351 N. Harrison Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501
Hours
8:00am - 5:00pm (CT), Monday - Friday Safe Havens Programs are available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week
Voice
Application process
Call local DSS office for more information.
Eligibility
Parents of children less than 60 days old
Service area
SD
Agency info
South Dakota Department of Social Services
Offers a wide variety of services to the people of South Dakota including food cost assistance, temporary financial help, heating assistance and weatherization, child care assistance, and more.