Newborn Baby Left At Ivinson Memorial Hospital Left In Good Hands

A newborn baby was left at Ivinson Memorial Hospital Saturday February 19th by an unidentified female. The Albany County Attorney's Office and the Albany County Department of Family Service want the public to know that measures have been taken to ensure the babies safety and want to clarify the situation regarding the status of the baby, it's health, and the future.

The following is a press release from the Albany County & Prosecuting Attorney's Office:

The Albany County Attorney’s Office and the Albany County Department of Family Services Office wish to clarify the situation regarding the newborn baby that was left at Ivinson Memorial Hospital on Saturday, February 19, 2011.

Wyoming Statute 14-11-103 provides that relinquishment of a newborn child (up to 14 days old) to a “safe haven” does not in and of itself constitute neglect. A “safe haven” includes a hospital such as IMH. The statute further provides that the safe haven provider, IMH in this case, may presume that the person relinquishing the child is the child’s parent or parent’s designee.

The leaving of the baby at IMH in this case appears to the Albany County Attorney’s Office and Albany County Department of Family Services to be in substantial compliance with the statute.

Therefore, there is no intent on the part of the Albany County Attorney’s Office or Albany County Department of Family Services to pursue legal action against the parents or designee of the parent’s in this case.

Furthermore the statute provides that the parent or parent’s designee shall retain complete anonymity. The Albany County Attorney’s Office and Albany County Department of Family Services wish to ensure that anonymity of the relinquishing parents or designee is protected.

We wanted all interested parties to understand the position of the Albany County Attorney’s Office in this case and to know that pursuant to the statute the baby in question has been properly placed in a potential adoptive home by the Department of Family Services.