Safe Haven
Florida Bishops approve “A Safe Haven for Newborns” Curriculum for all Catholic High Schools in Florida.
Elizabeth is a sixteen year old junior at your school. She is a good student and has told her friends she plans to go to college to become an engineer. Her parents are proud of her good grades and her plans for college. Elizabeth has the reputation of being rather quiet, but friendly and easy to talk to. She had been dating Tommy, a senior but Tommy is now going steady with Ana, and Elizabeth hasn’t been dating anyone since she and Tommy broke up.
In the last few months, Elizabeth has been noticeably quieter and withdrawn. She transferred out of her P.E. Class and has taken to wearing oversized clothes. You have been close friends with Elizabeth and have noticed these changes. You now believe Elizabeth may be pregnant and is trying to hide it.
You are her best friend, what do you do?
This is the introduction to the Safe Haven Curriculum being implemented in the Catholic High Schools in all of the Dioceses in the State of Florida. The Superintendents in all the dioceses in Florida are taking the lead in implementing this program in all of their high schools. Upon successful implementation, the curriculum will be introduced to the Public School System statewide.
Florida has a law that allows a mother/father who cannot or does not want to take care of a newborn child to leave that child at a “”Safe Haven” opposed to abandoning the baby in an unsafe place, resulting in almost sure death.
The Gloria M. Silverio Foundation –“A Safe Haven for Newborns” 501(c) 3 Florida organization has developed a “Safe Haven” Curriculum to be taught in High Schools as part of their public awareness education efforts statewide.
The organization is addressing this societal problem thru education, prevention, grass roots community involvement and their 24/7 multilingual helpline. Thru a grass roots approach, “Safe Haven” now reaches across all 67 Florida Counties. They have “Partnered” with the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, Emergency Medical Services, many Hospitals and many other organizations and agencies in the state. They are the information and resource organization in Florida relating this complex societal problem which affects people of all races, cultures and economic backgrounds.
Obviously this program is not the final answer to the societal problems contributing to the cause of infant abandonment but provides a compassionate approach to saving the lives of innocent and helpless babies. This is a positive outcome for all involved:
§ A Child’s life is saved.
§ A mother or father is saved from a lifetime of guilt, anguish and possible criminal prosecution.
§ And the hopes and dreams of a loving family waiting to adopt a child are fulfilled.
The ultimate goal of the Gloria M. Silverio Foundation – A Safe Haven for Newborns is to eventually eliminate infant abandonment in Florida.
We believed from the beginning if one life is saved all there efforts would be worthwhile.
As of this writing, Sixty One (61) babies have been saved in Florida. Sixty One (61) little lives who now can grow up to be all they can be, but there is so much more to do.
Please visit www.asafehavenfornewborns.com to learn.
Email: [email protected]
