BATON ROUGE - After a newborn infant was found in the back of a garbage truck, the sheriff in Tangipahoa Parish is reminding parents of Louisiana's Safe Haven Law.

The law gives parents the opportunity to hand over an infant under certain conditions, without the threat of punishment or repercussion.

“A parent who chooses not to parent can relinquish their infant as long as the infant is up to sixty days old and into the hands of an employee at a designated emergency care facility,” said Amanda Brunson, spokesperson for Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana.

These facilities include hospitals, fire stations, and police stations. The program also provides a sense of privacy.

“And then the parent can walk away, without leaving any information and without prosecution for abandonment,” Brunson added.

She believes parents should feel safe if they find themselves in this type of crisis.

“The designed facilities have such great training at how to handle these types of the situations, so mothers or parents should not feel that pressure to be the judge."

It's also important to know that the law is only valid for children who are not in abusive situations.

Anyone in a crisis situation can contact the Louisiana Prevent Child Abuse line at 1-800-244-5373, or text (225) 424-1533.