Who is presumed to be the infant's biological parent when relinquishing an infant?

• A. The relinquishing person.
• B. The relinquished infant's social worker.
• C. The EMS provider on scene.
• D. The EDAP nurse.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the person who relinquishes an infant is presumed to be the infant’s biological parent. This presumption is in place to remove barriers to a safe, immediate handoff and to protect the infant while the appropriate custody and parentage steps are handled later. In the safe-haven process, the relinquishing individual is treated as the parent for purposes of the handoff and immediate care, so the infant is brought to a designated safe haven or medical facility and cared for, with child welfare authorities pursuing the details of parentage as needed. While others—such as a social worker, the EMS provider on scene, or an EDAP nurse—play roles in care and processing, they are not presumed to be the parent simply because they receive the infant.