Many people just can’t imagine that anyone would ever abandon a baby in Johnson County but it happens. Sadly, we have had babies die because they were abandoned and not found in time. The Baby Moses Law provides a means for those who find themselves unable or unprepared to parent, to leave their baby where they will be loved and cared for. The parent will not face prosecution if the baby is delivered safely into the arms of a firefighter, EMT, or hospital personnel. Please help us get the word out that no baby has to die in Johnson County from abuse or abandonment. There are Safe Baby Sites all over the county that are prepared to meet the needs of any newborn child turned over at the site. There are many people that care and are ready to help!

What is the Baby Moses Law?

The Baby Moses Law has been in place since 1999, but there were insufficient funds available to educate the general public about the law. The Baby Moses Law provides a responsible alternative to parents who might otherwise abandon, neglect or harm a newborn child. The law states that a parent may leave an unharmed infant up to sixty days old in the arms of a hospital personnel, firefighters or designated Emergency Medical Service Provider with no questions asked and no penalty to the parent. Texas State Law 262.301 and 262.302.

The Need for This Project

The Baby Moses Law was passed in Texas because of the growing concern about the number of abandoned infants. It is estimated that each month two infants are abandoned in life-threatening situations in Texas and approximately 25% of all abandoned babies do not survive.

Safe Baby Site Locations

In Johnson County our designated sites are all 24-hour manned fire stations, Care Flite of Johnson County Mobile Units (Ambulances), Huguley Memorial Medical Center and Walls Regional Hospital.

Babies cannot be dropped off at a fire station that is not manned. Volunteer departments are typically not manned 24-hours a day. There may be no one there to find and care for the baby. The goal of this law is to have parents place the child into the arms of someone capable of caring for the child and providing medical attention if needed.

If parents deliver a child into the hands of a person at a designated site there will be no question asked. Parents will be given a very short medical history profile to fill out on the baby for medical reasons only.