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RELINQUISHING LEGAL RIGHTS TO A CHILD
SAFE HAVENS ACT FOR NEWBORNS
The Connecticut Safe Havens Act allows parents to voluntarily give up custody of an infant age 31 days or younger to the nursing staff of a hospital's emergency room. The parent will not be subject to arrest for abandonment if they take their infant and turn him/her over to an emergency room nurse.
- However, this law does not protect the parent from being arrested and criminally prosecuted if abuse or neglect has occurred while the infant was in their care.
TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS
When a child age 32 days or older comes into the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the parent(s) have stated that they want to relinquish their legal rights to the child and the child is not already committed to DCF, the Department will usually file a Petition to Terminate Parental Rights in the Probate Court. The parent(s) will be required to acknowledge in court that they freely and willingly consent to the termination of their legal interest in their child.
STATUTORY PARENT
When the Probate Court grants a Petition for Termination of Parental Rights it names the Department of Children and Families the statutory parent. The status of "statutory parent" then gives DCF the authority to place the child for adoption. The parent(s) have a certain period of time to appeal the decision of the Probate Court should they change their minds about relinquishing their legal rights.
TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:
Search by service names:
Safe Havens for Abandoned Children
Children's Protective Services
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SOURCE: Dept.of Children and Families
PREPARED BY: 211/lb
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: March2008
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