‘A Safe Haven for Newborns’ Offers a Second Chance for Babies and Mothers in Crisis

By Taryn Jacobs and Delanie Haddad

For many people, the thought of abandoning a newborn baby is unimaginable. But for some mothers facing overwhelming fear, isolation, mental health struggles, family pressure, abuse, poverty, or an unexpected pregnancy, desperation can lead to tragic decisions.

Every year in the United States, dozens of newborn babies are abandoned, often in unsafe locations such as dumpsters, public restrooms, parks, or vacant buildings. Many do not survive. Yet in Florida, a little-known program has spent the past 25 years providing an alternative – one that has saved hundreds of lives.

That program is called ‘A Safe Haven for Newborns,’ a statewide organization that works alongside hospitals, fire departments, emergency responders, adoption agencies, and social service providers to ensure that mothers in crisis have a safe, legal, and anonymous option for surrendering a newborn child. Since its founding in 2001, the organization has helped save and place more than 440 babies into loving homes while also providing support and resources to vulnerable mothers.

“At the end of the day, we’re saving two lives,” said longtime Safe Haven advocate Lars White. “We’re saving the life of the newborn who isn’t abandoned illegally, and we’re also saving the life of the mother who chose to make that difficult decision.”

The organization’s founder, Nick Silverio, never expected his life would take this path.

Silverio and his wife were married for 32 years but never had children. His life changed forever when his wife was killed in a car crash.

“One morning I kissed her goodbye, leaving for work, and two-and-a-half hours later received a call from the trauma center that she had been involved in a car accident,” Silverio recalled.

Months later, while grieving and searching for direction, he came across an article about the growing problem of infant abandonment.

“I knew instantaneously at that moment that that was God’s message to me, that that’s what I should be doing for the rest of my life,” Silverio said.

That realization eventually led to the creation of ‘A Safe Haven for Newborns,’ an organization that has become one of Florida’s most significant child welfare initiatives.

Florida’s Safe Haven law allows a parent to legally surrender a newborn who is 30 days old or younger at a designated safe location without fear of prosecution, provided there is no evidence of abuse or neglect. Safe surrender locations include hospitals, emergency medical services stations, and fire stations staffed 24 hours a day.

“A mother can leave her baby safely, 30 days old or less,” Silverio explained. “She can have the baby at home, take the baby to the fire department, or, as we suggest and very often it happens, she has the baby at the hospital in a safe way.”

Once surrendered, the newborn receives medical care and is placed with a licensed adoption agency that works to find a permanent home.

The law has evolved significantly since its original passage.

According to White, the original legislation allowed newborns to be surrendered only within the first three days of life. After reviewing data and case trends, advocates pushed lawmakers to extend that period first to seven days and later to 30 days, bringing Florida in line with many other states.

‘A Safe Haven for Newborns’ also maintains a 24-hour crisis hotline and provides educational outreach to hospitals and first responders throughout Florida. Signs identifying Safe Haven locations are posted outside emergency rooms and fire stations across the state.

“Right now, all of the 24/7 staffed fire stations in the state of Florida and all of the ER hospitals have our signage posted outside their facility,” Silverio said.

For fire departments and emergency responders, Safe Haven cases are handled with compassion and care.

Chief Fernandez explained that when a newborn is surrendered, responders evaluate the baby’s health, document the incident, and coordinate with Safe Haven personnel and adoption agencies to ensure the child receives proper care.

“If a baby was dropped off, we would treat it as one of our calls,” Fernandez said. “We’d evaluate the baby, make a record of it, and then coordinate a pickup.”

Chief Moss has seen firsthand how important those interventions can be.

“She didn’t know what to do,” Moss said while recounting one abandonment case. “In the middle of the night, she got a shoebox, put the baby in the box, and dumped the child in a dumpster.”

Stories like that illustrate the devastating consequences that can occur when struggling mothers do not know help is available.

While the organization’s name emphasizes newborn safety, many supporters say one of its greatest strengths is the assistance it provides mothers before they make irreversible decisions.

Silverio often serves as a counselor, advocate, and source of emotional support for women facing crisis pregnancies or severe postpartum struggles.

“When a mom says what she wants to do or what she’s going through, it’s not the exact thing because she’s upset,” Silverio said. “You listen, you ask questions, you give her a sense that you care.”

One of those mothers was Tina Rowe.

After the birth of her fourth child, Rowe experienced severe postpartum depression and found herself overwhelmed.

“I was going through a very dark postpartum depression,” she said. “’A Safe Haven for Newborns’ saved me. Saved my baby.”

Rowe remembered seeing a Safe Haven sign at a local fire station and decided to seek help.

“I just got in my car and went because they help,” she said. “They help babies. They help moms. So I needed help.”

When she connected with Silverio, she found someone willing to listen without judgment.

“He listened with a laser focus and intention to understand what I was going through,” Rowe said. “He said, ‘I’m here for you. I’m here with you.’”

Today, Rowe says that support helped her navigate one of the most difficult periods of her life.

“Don’t give up on yourself without letting someone help you first,” she said.

For many families, ‘A Safe Haven for Newborns’ has been life-changing.

Lori Lewis remembers the day her daughter Gloria entered her life.

“When Gloria came into our life at four days old, we had experienced several miscarriages,” Lewis said. “She became ours to keep when they laid her in our arms.”

Today, Gloria Hope is one of many adults whose lives began through the Safe Haven system.

“It’s not about shame,” Hope said. “It’s about knowing that your biological parents chose to put you in a safe place and give you a chance.”

Lydia Casady, another Safe Haven child, said she understands how important the law can be for families facing difficult circumstances.

“I think what Uncle Nick and Safe Haven do is very important and quite literally life-changing,” Casady said.

Many of the children who entered the world through Safe Haven remain connected through a network of families and supporters that has grown over the years. They affectionately refer to Silverio as “Uncle Nick,” a reflection of the close relationships he has maintained with many of the families involved in the program.

Supporters say Silverio’s greatest contribution extends beyond the legislation he helped strengthen or the infrastructure he built.

They point to the compassion he brings to every situation.

“Everything he does is for others,” Moss said.

Mike Murphy, who has worked closely with the organization, said Silverio regularly responds to calls at all hours, driving long distances across Florida to assist mothers and newborns in need.

Chief Fernandez credits much of the program’s success to Silverio’s persistence and determination.

“He had to deal with politics, politicians, legislation, and other forces that weren’t necessarily always aligned,” Fernandez said. “The fact that it’s still going is a testament to how he does what he does.”

For Silverio, the work has also been a lesson in empathy.

“We all can be judgmental,” he said. “I’ve learned not to be. I’ve learned basically to listen and help.”

Despite the program’s success, advocates say public awareness remains one of the greatest challenges.

Many mothers who abandon infants illegally simply do not know that Safe Haven laws exist or that help is available.

Supporters hope continued education will prevent future tragedies by ensuring women understand they have options.

“I’ll be a part of making sure that more people know about the organization,” Moss said, “and that more people have the information they need to save the lives of these babies who deserve a chance at life.”

For more than two decades, ‘A Safe Haven for Newborns’ has offered that chance by providing a path away from abandonment and toward safety, adoption, support, and hope.

For hundreds of babies, it has meant a future.

For hundreds of mothers, it has meant knowing they were not alone.

And for Nick Silverio, it has become a lifelong mission born from personal loss and transformed into a statewide network of compassion that continues to save lives every day.