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Homicide Investigation in Fort Dodge Puts Spotlight on Iowa’s Safe Haven Act

By Brooke Bickford
November 30, 2022 12:56PM CST
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Homicide Investigation in Fort Dodge Puts Spotlight on Iowa’s Safe Haven Act
Mother holding her baby’s feet and making a heart shape. Mandalay, Cape Town, South Africa.
Brooke Bickford – Alpha Media News – The homicide investigation involving a newborn child in Fort Dodge is bringing a long standing statewide law into the headlines.
The Safe Haven Act protects a parent who decides they do not want their baby after it is born.
Alpha Media News spoke with Representative Ann Meyer of Fort Dodge about the act.
“It releases them from any legal ramifications,” Meyer said. “If mom is having a hard time, if she’s overwhelmed, if she’s contemplating child abuse she can bring her baby to the safe haven and the baby will be cared for and she will not be charged with abandonment.”
Representative Meyer said the age of the child that can be taken to a safe haven drop point was just extended from 30 to 90 days this legislative session.
“There was a constituent concern on the west side of the state. We brought it forward, we discussed it, we want to do anything we can to protect babies and it truly was born out of a constituent concern that 30 days might not be long enough,” Meyer said.
Unity Point is a Safe Haven drop point.
Alpha Media News reached out to the Fort Dodge Fire Department and found that although they are a drop point for any infant as well, there is not a specific box that is sitting at the station for someone to drop off and leave without making contact with an official ad that is something that they are moving to implement.

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