SB0060

Summary

Safe haven infants. Requires the Indiana clearinghouse for information on missing children and missing endangered adults to cooperate with licensed child placing agencies for purposes of locating missing children. Amends the definition of "safe haven infant" to provide that the term means any infant taken into custody by an emergency medical services provider under specified circumstances. Amends the definition of "abandoned infant" for purposes of juvenile law to provide that the term does not include a safe haven infant. Requires an emergency medical services provider who takes custody of a safe haven infant at a location other than a hospital to transport the safe haven infant to a hospital. Requires the department of child services (department) to do the following: (1) Create and maintain: (A) a means by which licensed child placing agencies may opt to receive notice of a safe haven infant having been taken into custody by an emergency medical services provider; and (B) a registry of licensed child placing agencies that have opted to receive notice. (2) Accurately track the number of safe haven infants taken into custody by emergency medical services providers. Requires a licensed child placing agency that assumes custody of a safe haven infant to immediately notify the department that the licensed child placing agency has assumed custody of the safe haven infant. Provides that if a licensed child placing agency assumes custody of a safe haven infant from an emergency medical services provider with which the licensed child placing agency, or an employee of the licensed child placing agency, has a financial relationship that could be construed as providing an incentive for the emergency medical services provider to give custody of the safe haven infant to the licensed child placing agency, the licensed child placing agency: (1) may not place the safe haven infant; and (2) shall, without unnecessary delay after taking custody of the safe haven infant, transfer custody of the safe haven infant to the department. Provides that if the department or a licensed child placing agency files a petition to terminate the parent-child relationship, the petition must be accompanied by an affidavit attesting to the existence of specified conditions. Specifies that notice to an unnamed or unknown putative parent regarding the surrender of a safe haven infant must be published only in Indiana counties. Makes technical corrections.

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