Report 2007-124 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2007-124: Safely Surrendered Baby Law: Stronger Guidance From the State and Better Information for the Public Could Enhance Its Impact (Release Date: April 2008)

Recommendation #3 To: Social Services, Department of

To ensure that individuals who surrender babies receive proper protection under the safe surrender law, Social Services should clarify the definition of 'safe surrender', and then disseminate and monitor its use among county and state agencies. The clarified definition should address situations in which babies are born and surrendered in a hospital as well as those in which the individual surrendering the baby indicates that adoption is his or her ultimate goal. If Social Services believes statutory change is needed to do so, it should seek the requisite authority from the Legislature.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From January 2011

Social Services released ACIN number I-88-10 on November 2, 2010. This letter clarifies the definition of a safe surrender and provides safe surrender intake procedures, including situations in which babies are born and surrendered in a hospital and situations that require clarity between safe surrender and relinquishment for adoption. The letter also addresses SSB confidentiality issues by reiterating confidentiality protocols at intake and during data entry into CWS/CMS. Further, the letter corrects erroneous instructions from ACIN I-16-04 regarding waiver of confidentiality for the surrendering individual. Last, the letter issues an updated form: the Safely Surrendered Baby Medical Questionnaire (new Social Services form SOC 861) for use by safe surrender site staff in order to improve availability of medical information that may be vital to the health of a surrendered child. (2010-041, p. 55)

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

---

All Recommendations in 2007-124

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.