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Kern County proclaims February 'Safe Surrender Baby Awareness Month,' coalition announces Feb. 18 press conference
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Summary
Supervisors adopted a proclamation recognizing Safe Surrender Baby Awareness Month. Department of Human Services and coalition partners said the law provides a no‑shame option to surrender newborns to hospitals or fire stations and credited the program with saving 105 infants in Kern County since 2006.
BAKERSFIELD — The Kern County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 proclaimed February 2026 as Safe Surrender Baby Awareness Month and received remarks from Department of Human Services staff and coalition partners about local outreach efforts.
Supervisor Flores presented the proclamation and noted a recent local infant abandonment tragedy as part of the rationale for renewed outreach. Lito, representing the county’s Department of Human Services coalition, outlined the county program and its goals: to provide a safe, legal and compassionate alternative for parents to surrender a newborn within 72 hours without fear of prosecution or having to give identifying information.
"Quite simply, this law saves lives," the coalition representative said, noting that since 2006 there have been 105 babies safely surrendered in Kern County.
Staff and coalition partners listed community outreach activities and announced a press conference at Adventist Health on Feb. 18 to continue raising awareness. County staff said hospitals and fire stations are designated safe‑surrender locations and reiterated the program’s "no shame, no blame, no names" principle.
The board unanimously approved the proclamation and presented it to coalition members, who were asked to continue education and awareness work across the county.
What’s next: the coalition will hold the announced Feb. 18 press conference and continue community outreach with county support.
