Governor Blagojevich Proclaims April 4th Save Abandoned Babies Day

The Save Abandoned Babies Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to saving the lives of newborn infants who might otherwise be unsafely abandoned in Illinois. It focuses on public awareness of IllinoisÕ safe haven law, The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, which provides a process for anonymously relinquishing a newborn. The Foundation also works to ensure that this process continues to protect infants from being abandoned in Dumpsters and other unsafe places in Illinois.

NORTHBROOK, ILL., FEBRUARY 24, 2003, The Save Abandoned Babies Foundation announced today that Governor Rod Blagojevich has issued a proclamation declaring April 4th Save Abandoned Babies Day in Illinois. The proclamation establishes a day dedicated to public awareness of Illinois' Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act and its goal: to prevent the deaths of newborn infants by providing parents with a safe mechanism for anonymously relinquishing a newborn baby.

The April 4th date marks the anniversary of the first baby to be safely relinquished under the Act in April of 2002. It is also a day to celebrate the lives of two other infants who were relinquished safely and to remember the four babies found dead and the five babies abandoned in unsafe places since the Act was signed into Illinois law in 2001.

This year, the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation will host the first Save Abandoned Babies Day event on April 4th in downtown Chicago. The Foundation will celebrate the first birthday of the first newborn to be safely relinquished under the law by releasing a public service announcement for a statewide awareness campaign. Please save the date. Watch for your invitation to this very special birthday event where you'll learn more about the law and the media's critical role in saving the lives of newborns who might otherwise be unsafely abandoned in Illinois.