§ 19-10A-6.Reimbursement of medical costs; placement with Department of Human Services
Chapter 10A. Eliza Jane Warner Act · Last amended 2026 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-10A-6
Plain-English Summary
This section picks up where § 19-10A-4 leaves off: a baby has been left, and now someone must care for it. A medical facility, fire station, police station or ambulance service must immediately arrange for the newborn to be taken to the nearest medical facility. It must also notify the Department of Human Services twice — when the child is left, and when the child is medically ready for discharge.
The department then has a firm deadline. Once notified that the child is medically ready for discharge, it must take physical custody of the child within six hours. After taking custody, the department must promptly bring the child before the juvenile court as Code Section 15-11-145 requires. From there, the child’s future is handled through the juvenile court process.
Money is the last piece. A medical facility that accepts the child for inpatient admission, and a fire station or police station that accepts a child left under § 19-10A-4, is entitled to reimbursement from the Department of Human Services for all reasonable medical and other reasonable costs associated with the child before the child is placed in the department’s care. The reimbursement sentence doesn’t mention ambulance services. Section 19-10A-7 protects facilities and staff from liability for failing to discharge these duties, but not for negligent treatment of the child. The section was last amended in 2026, effective July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a baby left at a Georgia safe haven?
The facility that receives the baby must immediately arrange transport to the nearest medical facility and notify the Department of Human Services. When the child is medically ready for discharge, the facility notifies the department again, and the department must take physical custody within six hours. It then promptly brings the child before the juvenile court, as Code Section 15-11-145 requires.
How quickly does DFCS take custody of a safe haven baby in Georgia?
Within six hours after it is notified that the child is medically ready for discharge. The statute assigns the duty to the Department of Human Services, the department that houses Georgia’s child welfare agency. The facility must notify the department both when the child is left and when the child is ready to leave medical care.
Who pays the hospital bills for a safe haven baby in Georgia?
The Department of Human Services. A medical facility that accepts the child for inpatient admission, or a fire station or police station that accepts a child left under § 19-10A-4, must be reimbursed by the department for all reasonable medical and other reasonable costs associated with the child before the child is placed in the department’s care.
Does a fire station have to take a safe haven baby to the hospital?
Yes. A medical facility, fire station, police station or ambulance service must immediately arrange for transport of the newborn to the nearest medical facility. It must also notify the Department of Human Services when the child is left and again when the child is medically ready for discharge.
Does a safe haven baby go to juvenile court in Georgia?
Yes. After the Department of Human Services takes physical custody of the child, it must promptly bring the child before the juvenile court as required by Code Section 15-11-145. This section doesn’t describe the juvenile court proceedings themselves; those are governed by the Juvenile Code in Title 15.
Amendment History
Laws 2002, p. 1137, § 1; Laws 2009, Act 102, § 2-2, eff. July 1, 2009; Laws 2013, Act 127, § 4-29, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; Laws 2017, Act 202, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017; Laws 2026, Act 639, § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.