WSHA has partnered with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Children, Youth, and Families to share the updated Safe Haven phone number: 1-888-510-BABY (2229). All designated drop-off locations in the state (which include all hospitals) are required to update or replace any signs posted at their facility or website to reflect this change. Order new signs online here. We also encourage you to share this change with your community partners.
DOH has limited funding to assist you if updating signage would bring about financial hardship for your organization, and you can request assistance by filling out a request form online.
Washington State’s Safe Haven law allows parents to anonymously transfer their unharmed infant within 72 hours of birth to a qualified person at a designated drop-off location without being subject to criminal liability. Parents can call or text the number to be connected to resources.
Parents must leave their infant with an on-duty staff member (also known as a qualified person) during a designated location’s hours of operation or when it is open. They can transfer the unharmed baby to a qualified person at three types of locations:
- Any hospital (the emergency department is open 24 hours and is the safest drop-off location
- A staffed fired station, when open
- A staffed rural health clinic, when open
Please email WASafeHaven@doh.wa.gov or the Department of Youth, Children, and Families at dcyf.communications@dcyf.wa.gov for more information. (Tim Pfarr)
