Safety for a Newborn Child

Wyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, ch. 11

in effect

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-101 Purpose and intent.

The purpose of this act is to provide to a parent of a newborn child the means to relinquish the child so that the child may be cared for and protected in a safe haven.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-102 Definitions.

(a) As used in this act: (i) "Abuse" means as defined by W.S. 14-3-202(a)(ii); (ii) "Child protective agency" means as defined by W.S. 14-3-202(a)(iv); (iii) "Fire station" means a fire station that is open and operating twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, and that is continually staffed with full- time, paid firefighters who have emergency medical services training; (iv) "Hospital" means a general acute hospital that is: (A) Equipped with an emergency room; (B) Open twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week; and (C) Employs full-time health care professionals who have emergency medical services training. (v) "Neglect" means as defined by W.S. 14-3-202(a)(vii); (vi) "Newborn child" means a child who is sixty (60) days of age or younger as determined within a reasonable degree of medical certainty; (vii) "Safe haven provider" means any of the following that is staffed twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week: (A) A fire station; (B) A hospital; (C) A police department or sheriff's office; or (D) Any other place of shelter and safety identified by the department of family services which meets the requirements of rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to W.S. 14-11-107. (viii) "This act" means W.S. 14-11-101 through 14-11-109.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-103 Relinquishment of a newborn child.

(a) A parent or a parent's designee may relinquish a newborn child to a safe haven provider in accordance with the provisions of this act and retain complete anonymity. (b) Relinquishment of a newborn child shall not, in and of itself, constitute abuse or neglect and the child shall not be considered an abused or neglected child, so long as the relinquishment is carried out in substantial compliance with provisions of this act. (c) A safe haven provider shall accept a newborn child who is relinquished pursuant to the provisions of this act, and may presume that the person relinquishing is the child's parent or parent's designee. (d) The parent or parent's designee may provide information regarding the parent and newborn child's medical histories, and identifying information regarding the nonrelinquishing parent of the child. The safe haven provider shall, after informing the parent or the parent's designee that no information is required to be given, ask the parent or the parent's designee whether the child has any tribal affiliation or Native American ancestry, and request relevant information to determine the child's tribe. The safe haven provider shall not require that any information be given or the person relinquishing express an intent for return of the child. (e) A safe haven provider may provide any necessary emergency medical care to the newborn child and shall deliver custody of the newborn child to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. (f) A hospital receiving a relinquished newborn child may provide any necessary medical care to the child and shall notify the local child protective agency as soon as possible, but no later than twenty-four (24) hours after receiving the child. (g) The local child protective agency shall assume care and custody of the child immediately upon notice from the hospital. After receiving custody, the local child protective agency shall assist in placement of the newborn child pursuant to W.S. 14-11-105(a).

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-104 Newborn child identity.

Unless reliable and sufficient identifying information relating to the newborn child has been provided, the department of family services shall work with law enforcement agencies in an effort to ensure that the newborn child has not been identified as a missing child.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-105 Child placement; termination of parental rights.

(a) The department of family services shall immediately place or contract for placement of the newborn child in a potential adoptive home. (b) If neither parent of the newborn child affirmatively seeks the return of the child within three (3) months after the date of delivery to a safe haven provider, the department of family services shall file a petition for the termination of the parent-child legal relationship in accordance with W.S. 14-2-308 through 14-2-319. (c) Prior to filing a petition for termination, the department of family services shall conduct a search of the putative father registry for unmarried biological fathers and if the putative father is identified, the petition shall be served pursuant to W.S. 14-2-313. (d) If the child is an Indian child as defined by W.S. 14-6-702(a)(iv), the court and all parties shall comply with the Wyoming Indian Child Welfare Act and the department shall serve the petition as required by W.S. 14-6-704.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-106 Safe relinquishment is an affirmative defense.

If the person relinquishing a newborn child is the child's parent or the parent's designee, relinquishment of a newborn child in substantial compliance with the provisions of this act is an affirmative defense to any potential criminal liability for abandonment or neglect relating to that relinquishment.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-107 Authority of department of family services to promulgate rules and regulations.

The department of family services may promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this act. The rules and regulations shall specify conditions and qualifications for safe haven providers in rural areas of the state that do not have a safe haven provider as defined in W.S. 14-11-102(a)(vii)(A), (B) or (C).

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-108 Immunity from liability.

Any person, official, institution or agency participating in good faith in any act required or permitted by this act is immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise result by reason of the action. For the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, the good faith of any person, official, institution or agency participating in any act permitted or required by W.S. 14-11-101 through 14-11-109 shall be presumed.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-11-109 Reports of relinquishments.

Each local child protective agency shall maintain and update on a monthly basis a report of the number of newborn children who have been relinquished pursuant to this act and shall submit the information to the department of family services.

Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title14.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026