TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would require the State Department of Children and Families to expand community outreach in order to better educate the New Jersey public about the State’s Safe Haven Law was approved by the Assembly today by a vote of 76-0, receiving final legislative approval.
“New Jersey’s Safe Haven law has been one of the great success stories in terms of reducing child abandonment and giving children a chance to grow up in a safe, healthy environment,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “However, despite the fact that the law has reduced illegal child abandonment by more than 50 percent since its inception, many parents remain unaware of the law. We need to better promote the Safe Haven option for parents who feel that they have nowhere else to go.”