COLUMBIA, S.C. — Authorities said on Friday that a baby was legally surrendered at a Columbia hospital through a special state law meant to save children.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) said the baby girl was surrendered at Prisma Health Richland Hospital on Thursday after being born on Wednesday. The child is now being medically evaluated and will be placed in a licensed foster home upon being discharged. The baby was taken into the custody of the Williamsburg County Department of Social Services based on where the mother is from.
Any person wishing to assert parental rights must appear at the March 12 Permanency Planning Hearing at 9:30 a.m. This will be held at the Williamsburg County Family Court at 147 West Main Street in Kingstree.
Under the South Carolina Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, also known as Daniel's Law, a baby can be surrendered at designated locations at up to 60 days old. The law was dedicated to baby Daniel, who survived being buried in an Allendale County landfill soon after his birth. The law was established to prevent similar kinds of dangerous outcomes for babies who are abandoned.
Safe Haven baby drop-off locations include all hospitals, police stations, fire stations, and houses of worship, provided that someone is there.
This is the second baby surrendered under the law in 2024. A record eight infants were surrendered in 2023 - the most shown in DSS online records since at least 2009.