On Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, community members, advocates and state lawmakers gathered at Washington Park East Cemetery in Indianapolis to honor the memory of Baby Haven Grace Hope, an infant found deceased in September 2025. The solemn ceremony became the backdrop for a new legislative proposal aimed at preventing future tragedies.
Proposed legislation
State Rep. Julie McGuire, joined by He Knows Your Name ministry founder Linda Znachko, announced a bill for the 2027 session of the Indiana General Assembly that would require state‑accredited middle and high schools to include mandatory instruction on Indiana’s Safe Haven Law in health‑education curricula for grades 6 through 12.
The Indiana Department of Education, in partnership with the Department of Child Services, would develop age‑appropriate instructional materials. Lessons would cover the legal rights of parents, the timeframe for surrendering a newborn, designated safe locations, and the use of Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
Rationale
“Indiana’s Safe Haven Law exists to give parents a safe option in a moment of crisis, but it only works if people know it exists,” Rep. McGuire said. “That is why I want Safe Haven education built into our schools, so young Hoosiers know this option is there if they or someone they know ever needs it.”
The law currently allows a parent to anonymously surrender an unharmed infant up to 60 days old to any first responder or designated safe location without fear of prosecution. Advocates argue that many abandonments occur because families are unaware of this option.
Recent incidents underscore need
The push follows three infant abandonments in Indianapolis within a single year: Baby Haven in September 2025, and two living infants found abandoned on July 24 and August 24, 2026. Znachko emphasized the importance of reaching young people before a crisis hits.
“We have to reach young people before they are in a moment of crisis,” she said. “Education is prevention. Making that education mandatory means they know their rights under the Safe Haven Law and the options available to them before they ever need them.”
Focus on handoff surrenders
Znachko noted that while public awareness of Safe Haven Baby Boxes has grown, the simplest and safest option remains a direct handoff surrender to a first responder, which does not require a box.
“The first option should be the simple, pure part of the law, which is handoff surrender is the best way to go because a mom or dad can do that anywhere,” she explained. “We’ve got to start educating more young people about this law so that they are equipped when they are in crisis.”
Background of the ministry
He Knows Your Name, founded by Znachko in October 2009 after an abandoned newborn was discovered in an Indianapolis dumpster, has spent 17 years advocating for abandoned infants. The ministry claims to have named and held services for 68 abandoned or unclaimed infants, and more recently, has expanded to honor unclaimed adults.
“I never want to have to bury another baby again,” Znachko said. “I’m excited about this opportunity to give Baby Haven the final say here with this law.”
Community response
The ceremony also featured Marion County Coroner Alfie McGinty, Indiana Senate candidate Michelle Davis, and Katelyne Sanchez, whose son discovered Baby Haven. Attendees expressed support for the memorial and the proposed education effort.
“When I have a baby funeral and I’ve claimed a baby, I really, really want the community to come,” Znachko said. “Witnessing a funeral of a child they never met gives honor and dignity to life. That is the mission of He Knows Your Name.”
For more information on the ministry or upcoming memorial events, visit heknowsyourname.org.
Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.
