Local adoptee’s story highlights Safely Surrendered Baby law; county reports 105 rescued newborns since 2006

The Safely Surrendered Baby Coalition marked awareness month in the county segment and emphasized that California’s safely surrendered baby law provides a safe, legal option for parents in crisis to surrender newborns at hospitals or designated locations.

The county report said that since 2006, Kern County has recorded 105 instances where parents surrendered newborns at hospitals or fire stations under the law, and those infants were placed into adoptive families.

Stacy Munoz, who adopted a child surrendered under the law, described the moment she received the call that led to the adoption: "I'll never forget getting the call. I know exactly where I was. I was driving home from work and I saw that county phone number on my phone and spoke with a social worker and ... I've honestly never been so excited in my life," Munoz said. She and her family said they are "incredibly grateful" to the birth mother for choosing safe surrender.

County speakers framed safe surrender as an alternative to abandonment and a life-saving option for newborns; the segment did not provide details on the long-term placement process, post-adoption services or the agencies involved in each placement.

For further information on the law and safe-surrender procedures, viewers were encouraged to consult official county resources.