Fire Dept. celebrates adoption of Canton’s 1st Safe Haven baby

On November 22 in a packed and festive courtroom at Brockton Probate and Family Court, Canton Fire Chief Charles Doody received a gift he has rarely gotten to experience in his 25-year professional career.

The gift of closure.

In this case, it involved a little infant boy who the chief had crossed paths with, albeit very briefly, nearly a year earlier at the Ponkapoag firehouse. The child, dubbed “Baby Doe” by the Canton firefighters, had been brought to Station 2 on Sassamon Street by his mother and legally surrendered in accordance with the state’s Safe Haven Act.

‘Baby Doe’ is adopted on National Adoption Day. (CFD photo)

Under the provisions of the act, which was passed by the state legislature in 2004, a parent can voluntarily relinquish an infant who is seven days old or younger at a hospital, police station, or manned fire station without facing criminal prosecution. The parent is not legally required to identify him or herself or provide any other information, although they are encouraged to share details that would assist in planning for the future care of the child, including information about the birth as well as the infant’s or biological family’s medical history.

With regard to Baby Doe, Doody said the mother shared a few bits of information but was understandably frightened and preferred to remain anonymous. While they asked all of the pertinent questions, Doody said they did not press too hard as the parent, under state law, is “supposed to feel like they’re in a nonjudgmental situation.”

From what he could glean, Doody said the young woman appeared to have walked to the station, arriving on their doorstep “with an infant in her arms.” Upon questioning, she indicated that she had recently given birth and felt as if she was not going to be able to take care of the baby.

Doody said the mother answered a few more questions, but ultimately refused medical treatment and declined an offer of transportation, walking out the door and into the cold December night.

Baby Doe, meanwhile, appeared to be in good health and was estimated to be only a day or two old. After a comprehensive medical evaluation by trained paramedics, the baby was then transported to the Norwood Hospital maternity ward, where he was placed into the care of a licensed social worker through the state Department of Children & Families (DCF).

Doody said he spoke briefly to the social worker that night and the two were in contact for a “very short time” afterwards, but otherwise he did not hear any new information about Baby Doe until almost a year later, when the social worker reached out via email.

“That’s the tough thing about calls like this,” said Doody. “Often you begin a call and then you drive away and you’re left to wonder whatever happened to the person. A lot of times you don’t know what the end result is.”

This time, however, Doody was thrilled to learn that Baby Doe was not only doing well, but was scheduled to be adopted by a local family on November 22 at a public celebration at Brockton Probate & Family Court marking National Adoption Day.

Doody, realizing he would likely not get another opportunity like this, decided to attend the event and he came away thoroughly impressed — and moved — by the experience.

“It was an amazing type of program that they had,” he said. “You had all of the kids and the adoptive families there. They had balloons, food — certainly not what you expect when you walk into family court. And you just saw a lot of joy on the kids’ faces and it was really something to see.”

Doody also got a chance to meet with Baby Doe’s adoptive parents and grandparents, who expressed their gratitude to the Fire Department for the part they played in bringing them together. In all, 44 adoptions were finalized at the Brockton courthouse that day as part of an event that Doody said he will remember fondly.

He managed to get a photo of the proceedings that he shared on Twitter along with the following message: “It was an honor to be invited to the adoption of Baby Doe, who was dropped off at Station 2 eleven months ago. Here’s wishing you a life full of love and family.”

Baby Doe, noted Doody, was brought to the fire station on December 18, 2018 — just a week before Christmas. “And a little less than a year later we had an adoption,” he said. “That’s pretty cool.”

With no prior practical experience with the Safe Haven Law before Baby Doe’s arrival, Doody said he had always thought of it as a “check-the-box kind of law — until that night in December.”

“The fact that at some point this person was educated about how you can bring an infant to the fire station tells me that the law is working,” he said. “Think about the alternative; there are so many scenarios that could happen that are so much worse. I’m obviously a proponent of the law and I’m happy that it’s on the books.”

While some focus on the parent’s decision to surrender a child and are critical of that decision, Doody said it’s important to remember the “other part of the story,” which often has a happy ending.

“It’s so nice to know that you accept an infant that’s in distress,” he said, “and a year later you’re seeing him adopted by two parents with a big extended family and you just know that the child is going to have a shot.”

To learn more about the Massachusetts Safe Haven Law, go to www.mass.gov/baby-safe-haven.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Dec 27 2019. Filed under News, Police & Fire. Both comments and pings are currently closed.