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Senate committee advances bill to speed placement of surrendered newborns with licensed adoption agencies
Summary
Senate Bill 1058 would require faster placement of newborns surrendered under Idaho’s Safe Haven law to vetted adoption agencies, add timing requirements and ICWA notice provisions; the committee approved the bill despite some objections about normalizing anonymous surrender and training.
Senator Tammy Nichols told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee that Senate Bill 1058 would streamline placement of newborns surrendered under Idaho’s Safe Haven laws by requiring the Department of Health and Welfare to maintain a list of licensed adoption agencies and, in many cases, transfer custody to a selective adoption agency within 24 hours.
Nichols said the bill aims to reduce unnecessary foster-care placements for newborns surrendered at licensed hospitals, fire stations, law enforcement agencies or baby boxes and to speed placement with vetted adoptive families. “The proposed amendment ... aims to address gaps in that current process,” Nichols said, adding that the measure was developed with tribal input.
The nut graf: sponsors and supporters argued the bill would improve outcomes for surrendered infants by…
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