Tuesday, June 12, 2007
First Lady Mari Culver Launches Safe Haven Campaign
Three TV Ads Aimed At Saving Infants Unveiled
(DES MOINES)- First Lady Mari Culver unveiled the state’s new Safe Haven television advertisement campaign Tuesday, and said she hopes it will prevent tragic deaths of newborns. “I believe that getting the word out about Iowa’s Save Haven law will prevent unnecessary tragedies and ultimately save lives,” said Mrs. Culver.
The ads are part of a $55,000 marketing campaign by the Iowa Department of Human Services and the Iowa Hospital Association to underscore provisions of the state’s Safe Haven law. The law declares that there will be no adverse consequences for anyone who hands over an infant up to age 14 days to workers at any health facility. The Safe Haven for Newborns Public Service Announcement has been planned for months, but public interest spiked in the wake of a tragic incident last week when an Iowa woman was charged with murder after allegedly killing her newborn June 2, 2007, while on vacation with her family in Florida. It is not known whether the mother knew of safe haven provisions in either state.
Mrs. Culver said Safe Haven laws are designed to save lives when mothers are faced with the birth of a baby, and no where to turn. “It is critical that Iowa women who are scared and think they have nowhere to turn, know they can turn a newborn baby over to any health facility with no questions asked,” she said. “Lives have been saved since the 2001 law was enacted, and I am certain even more tragedies can be prevented with publicity.”
Mrs. Culver unveiled the three 30-second spots today at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, a safe haven. Each ad features a location—a dumpster, a telephone booth, and an abandoned car—where newborns across the country have been found dead. Each ad shows a young mother wondering what to do, then saving the newborn. Iowa’s law was approved in 2001 following the death of a newborn baby in Chelsea, Iowa. Since then, there have been eight Safe Haven children, the last being reported in October 2006. All of the children have been adopted.
In addition to the advertisements, DHS is working to create a curriculum for schools, to train hospital workers, and to provide permanent signage at health facilities. Seventy-five percent of funds allocated for the project are federal child welfare dollars, with the rest coming from state funds. In addition, the Iowa Hospital Association purchased the rights to the ads, which were originally developed for the state of Utah.
For more information, call the Iowa Department of Public Health Healthy Families hotline at 1-800-369-2229 or log on to the Department of Human Services website.