COLUMBIA, S.C. — A baby surrendered in Berkeley County on Tuesday is the fifth relinquished under South Carolina's Safe Haven Act in 2024.
The Department of Social Services (DSS) said Roper Berkeley Hospital healthcare professionals in Summerville accepted the child under Daniel's Law, also known as the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act. THe law allows for the safe and legal surrender of infants up to 60 days old at designated places.
Officials said the child weighed 10 pounds, 4.8 ounces at birth. The Berkeley County Department of Social Services now has custody of the child. A permanency planning hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Berkeley County Family Court at 300-B California Avenue in Moncks Corner. Anyone who believes they have parental rights to the child must attend and claim the rights at this hearing.
According to DSS online records, 69 children have been surrendered under the law since 2009. Five were relinquished in 2024, down from eight surrendered in 2023.
Daniel's Law was established in 2001 and named after an infant who survived being buried in an Allendale County landfill. The nurses gave him the name Daniel. The law was created to save babies from a similar fate without punishing anyone who surrenders a child at the designated Safe Haven locations such as hospitals, churches and fire stations.
If possible, the person leaving the child will be asked to provide medical information about the child's parents and the names of those parents to help address the newborn's medical needs. However, the person leaving the child doesn't have to reveal his or her identity.
Authorities said immunity doesn't apply if the child has been harmed.