Health Professionals Support the Direct Surrender Method as Compassionate and Humane

A Safe Haven for Newborns’ Partnership with Hospitals and Fire/EMS is Saving Lives

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, September 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Gloria M. Silverio Foundation, 501 (C) 3, d/b/a A Safe Haven for Newborns, was founded in 2001 in response to the newly passed Florida Surrender Infant Law. The Foundation is committed to eliminating the ultimate in infant abuse, abandonment, through education, grassroots community involvement, and direct assistance. They seek to address the escalating crisis by providing non-judgmental help and offering resources to pregnant women in crisis at no charge to them; all the while protecting their privacy.

The Direct Surrender Method used by A Safe Haven for Newborns is the most humane, compassionate way of surrendering a newborn. “A Safe Haven for Newborns program is saving lives, both the newborn and the mother; 432 babies (422 in Florida, nine in other states and one in Honduras) so far. And assisted 75 mothers who chose a private licensed adoption agency,” said Founder Nick Silverio. The Direct Surrender Method gives the birth mother the peace of mind that she is leaving her infant in the arms of a caring, compassionate person. It allows trained health professionals to quickly and effectively assess the needs of both the mother and newborn and gather extremely valuable health information affecting the immediate and long-term care of the newborn. It also provides the opportunity to offer emergency medical care to both the mother and her newborn and to offer the mother resources to get counseling and supportive services. If a baby is found to be abused, neglected, or potentially trafficked or kidnapped, the trained professional can recognize this and contact law enforcement.

The Indirect Surrender Box Method, referred to as the Infant Safety Device, takes away all shred of humanity from a very emotional human interaction. With the box method, the infant is placed inside the box and the door is then closed; there is no personal interaction. The box is required to be embedded in the institution’s structure, forming a permanent part of the building; and the facility incurs all the costs. The Infant Safety Device introduces several risks to the participating institutions, such as liability, security and fire codes.

Placing a baby in a box and closing the door, then walking way, eliminates all contact with the surrendering parent and may reduce the healthcare professional’s ability to determine if the baby is sick, injured, abused, neglected, trafficked, or if the mother requires immediate care. Following are two incidents where a newborn was left in a box without human interaction: In Blackfoot, Idaho on October 28, 2024, a deceased infant, with the placenta, was left in the box reported the East Idaho News. On April 7, 2018 in Coolsprings, Indiana, a baby was alive but was placed in the box with the umbilical cord still attached reported the NW Indiana Times.

“If a newborn is delivered outside the hospital and the mother does not surrender her infant with a direct face-to-face contact with hospital, EMS, or fire station personnel, this child is at a substantial risk. Newborns must be followed up shortly after birth. The birth of the baby triggers powerful emotions for the mother, like depression that needs to be addressed,” said Joyce Bloshnisky, RN MS.

To successfully facilitate the direct safe surrender of an infant, the Foundation provides online training to all 24/7 Safe Haven facilities and law enforcement agencies free of charge. Over 25,000 professionals have taken the online training program. All ER hospitals, 24/7 manned fire and EMS stations display the Safe Haven for Newborns signage that is provided by the Foundation, at no charge to the facilities, designating them as a safe haven location.

According to experienced counselors and medical personnel, the reasons a mother decides to surrender her newborn are many. The tragedy expands across all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups; compounded with feeling helplessness of not having support and not knowing what resources are available. “Leaving the newborn in the arms of a trained hospital professional or fire/EMS personnel will lessen the negative feelings the mother is experiencing, giving her the ability to have closure. It would be easy to imagine how a myriad of feelings encompassing worry, shame, guilt, sadness, and mourning all merge around the ‘what ifs’ if the infant was not placed in the arms of another human being,” said Dr. Andrea Corn, Licensed Florida Psychologist.

Identified as a national model program in saving newborns from abandonment and assisting pregnant teens and women in crisis, A Safe Haven for Newborns has assisted other states and countries develop similar programs that work in their communities. To learn more about A Safe Haven for Newborns and the Direct Surrender Method, please visit our website and sign up to receive the monthly electronic newsletter; or make a donation. A Safe Haven for Newborns is making a difference and you can too.

Nick Silverio
A Safe Haven for Newborns
+1 786-246-1304
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A Safe Haven for Newborns, A Personal Touch

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