Infant Abandonment Information for Non-Public Schools
The NC Division of Non-Public Education (as now mandated by the last paragraph in G.S. 115-548, 556 and 565) provides the following infant abandonment (also known as infant safe haven) information to North Carolina's non-public schools as resource tools for school personnel, parents and students:
Questions & Answers on this topic
prepared by the NC Bar Association
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The above Q&As are made available here with the understanding that the North Carolina Bar Association does not render legal advice or other professional services. All original sources of authority presented therein should be independently researched in dealing with specific legal matters. Note the pertinent NC General Statutes below. All Q&As presented above are courtesy of the North Carolina Bar Association web site which is responsible for the accuracy of the information.
The specific North Carolina General Statutes addressing this topic are:
G.S. 7B-302(a)
G.S. 7B-500
G.S. 14-322
G.S. 14-322.1
G.S. 14-322.3
The original 2001 NC legislation officially enacting this legal concept can be viewed by clicking on House Bill 275.
The US Department of Health and Human Services web site also provides information on this topic by state.
The 2007 House Bill 485 requires all NC public school systems: "To Ensure That Certain Students Receive Information Annually on Lawfully Abandoning a Newborn Baby. – Not later than August 1, 2008, local boards of education shall adopt policies to ensure that students in grades nine through 12 receive information annually on the manner in which a parent may lawfully abandon a newborn baby with a responsible person, in accordance with G.S. 7B‑500." Note, however, that the last paragraph in sections 3, 4 and 5 of that bill each simply require that the NC Division of Non-Public Education ensure that such information is made available to each NC non-public school, which may then use it at its own discretion.