Abandoned infant healthy, on way to CPS

by Jourdan Rassas and Lindsey Collom - Aug. 1, 2008 10:39 AM
The Arizona Republic
The infant abandoned at a Phoenix church on Thursday is in great condition and on her way to Arizona's Child Protective Services, official said Friday morning.
During a morning press conference, Maricopa County Medical Center and Phoenix Fire Department officials praised the child's mother for taking advantage of the state's Safe Haven law, under which an infant up to 72 hours old can be dropped off at churches, hospitals and fire stations, with no questions asked.
'The darkest hour in a baby's life is when the mother doesn't know what to do," said Phoenix Fire Chief Bob Kahn.
The child, believed to be less than 48 hours old, will go through the same adoption process that other children in CPS custody go through, said Kote Chundu, chairman of pediatrics for the medical center.
Chundu said the child was in excellent condition and was well dressed when she was found.
A teacher walking to work at Wilson Primary School found the baby shortly before 7 a.m. on a bench outside St. Mark's Catholic Church near 30th and Fillmore streets. The girl was wearing a pink jumper, wrapped in a towel and lying inside a baby carrier.
"She was very clean," said Rosie Bernal, a Wilson School social worker who made the call to 911 at the request of the teacher. "You could see that someone took the time. Someone loved her enough to put clothes on her."
The Safe Haven law ensures that parents will not face child-abuse charges for leaving an unharmed newborn with a safe-haven provider. Officials said the mother won't be sought out.