Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

10/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/23/2026 10:20

Baby Girl Declared Safe Haven in October

Through the Safe Haven Law, a baby girl, born October 16 is now in the care and custody of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will be placed with a foster family until permanent placement is determined. This brings the overall total to 83 infants since the law went into effect more than two decades ago.

Iowa's Safe Haven Act is an option for parents in crisis who determine they cannot care for an infant up to 90 days old. Designated safe havens are locations like hospitals and police and fire stations. Iowa HHS then works to place infants in an approved foster home while awaiting permanent adoption.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child, visit https://iowafosterandadoption.org/ to learn more about becoming an approved foster or adoptive family. For more information on Iowa's Safe Haven, visit https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/CPS/safe-haven.

Iowa Department of Health and Human Services published this content on October 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 23, 2026 at 16:20 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]