Connecticut
Connecticut Marks 25 Years Of Safe Havens Act, Renews Focus On Awareness | CT News Junkie
HARTFORD, CT — Twenty-five years after Connecticut enacted a law designed to protect newborns and mothers in crisis, lawmakers, advocates, and medical professionals gathered Thursday at the Legislative Office Building to reflect on its impact and call for renewed public awareness.
The state’s Safe Havens Act for Newborns, enacted in 2000, allows a parent to voluntarily and anonymously surrender an infant who is 30 days old or younger at any hospital emergency room, with no questions asked and no fear of prosecution for abandonment, provided there are no signs of abuse or neglect.
Lori Stewart, legislative liaison for the Catholic Conference of Public Affairs and host of the event, called the bill a unifier.
“No matter where you land or fall in the political, social, economic spectrum, we can all more or less come to a point where we believe that a mother in distress and a newborn baby at risk are worth a fighting chance at a potential positive outcome,” she said.
Carl Schiessel, speaking for the Connecticut Hospital Association, said 37 emergency departments across the state are designated Safe Haven sites. At each location there are signs designating the site as a safe haven and licensed clinicians are trained to provide immediate, compassionate care to both the baby and the parent.
“This law has been a success,” he said. “We need more people to know this.”
The law was inspired by a tragedy that, according to Stewart, “rocked the state.”
In January 1988, a newborn was found dead from exposure in a Meriden parking lot. His identity was unknown, and first responders named him David Paul — “David” meaning “God’s beloved” and “Paul” meaning “Little Man.”
For decades, the baby’s name was all they had. But in 2020, Meriden police, with help from forensic genealogists, identified the child’s mother. She told investigators she had given birth alone and called in an anonymous tip. She reportedly later told police that had the safe haven law existed at the time, she would have used it.
Moved by the case, former Rep. Pam Sawyer, R-Bolton and the late legislator Anne Carbone, R-Southington, helped craft legislation modeled after a Texas law. Connecticut’s version offered a penalty-free option for mothers and limited surrender sites to hospitals — rather than firehouses or police stations — to ensure access to medical care at all hours.
“We have too many unmanned firehouses, especially in rural towns,” Sawyer said. “Hospitals are open, staffed, and ready.”
Sawyer emphasized the need to make the law understandable and accessible, especially to younger audiences.
“We knew that the best thing that we could do was to make the law so simple that it could be shared on a school bus,” she said. “Because that may be something that someone needs to hear, and if they get that info, they are going to realize that there are 24-hour emergency rooms and (the staff will not) ask any questions.”
Once a baby is surrendered, hospital staff notify the Department of Children and Families, which takes immediate custody. The parent receives a packet outlining their rights and options. If they change their mind within 30 days, they can begin the process of reunification through DCF — a process that has occurred in a small number of cases.
“This law ensures there’s a safe place when there seems to be no safe place in their world,” said Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague. “It’s not just about the infant—it’s about showing care for the parent, too.”
Rep. Leslie Zupkus, R-Prospect. spoke about the law’s personal impact.
“I have two adopted daughters from similar situations,” she said. “I always tell them their biological mother loved them very much and wanted a better life for them.”
The event also highlighted the story of Panna Krom, a high school student and daughter of Cambodian refugees who gave birth alone in 2006 at age 17. Krom concealed the birth and her newborn died. She was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Her case drew the attention of Doug Hood, a retired Yale New Haven neurologist, who spoke about how he met Krom when he was volunteering at a women’s prison, Hood took interest in her case and later connected with her parents. Hood eventually advocated for her clemency when he learned that there were many similar cases across the state.
Hood chronicled the case in his 2023 book, Daughter of Song: A Cambodian Refugee Family, Their Daughter, Crime, and Injustice.
“She wasn’t a premeditated or even an intentional killer,” Hood wrote in his book.
The law’s reach has also been bolstered by community advocates like Tiffany Quinn, who became involved in 2014 after hearing news of another infant death in East Hartford.
“This was truly a work of all of our hearts, and this came from a place of public service from the heart for what we believe is right and needed,” she said. Quinn helped launch a working group focused on public education and outreach.
Speakers honored the late Governor M. Jodi Rell, an advocate of the law.
Rell oversaw a statewide awareness campaign that included translated outreach materials, signage at hospital entrances, and public service commercials. Her son, Michael Rell, attended the event in her memory.
Rep. Tim Ackert, R-Coventry summed up the law’s legacy in simple terms.
“We always hear about ‘legislation that saves lives’ — this one does,” he said. According to Ackert, at least 59 newborns have been safely surrendered since the law took effect.
“That’s more people than were in the room today,” he said.
For more information about the Safe Havens Act, or for confidential local support and resources, contact the Department of Children and Families Careline at 1-800-842-2288 or dial 2-1-1 for confidential local support and resources.
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Connecticut
West Hartford Entrepreneur Named Connecticut Small Business Person of the Year – We-Ha | West Hartford News
Derek Ezovski, president of Outsourced Risk Management Solutions (ORMS) of West Hartford, has been named Connecticut Small Business Person of the Year.
ORMS President Derek Ezovski has been named Connecticut’s Small Business Person of the Year. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
By Ronni Newton
West Hartford entrepreneur Derek Ezovski, who launched his own company, Outsourced Risk Management Solutions (ORMS), after recognizing an important need in the lending process that few were equipped to easily and efficiently address, has been recognized by the SBA Connecticut District Office as Connecticut National Small Business Person of the Year.
Small Business Administration District Director Catherine Marx joined Ezovski and West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor, CT DECD Project Manager Sue Decima, West Hartford Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Conway, and other officials as well as family, friends, and colleagues at a celebration at the ORMS office at 7 South Main Street on April 9.
ORMS President Derek Ezovski. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
“It’s a very niche part of the business, but it’s a very important part of what goes into a loan and making sure it gets done,” said Ezovski about ORMS’s role in performing environmental due diligence, including Phase I reports, for commercial real estate lenders. “We work with a lot of SBA lenders that have to get loans out to small businesses that don’t have a lot of knowledge of how to do it alone.”
Marx said “National Small Business Week” is the SBA’s favorite time of year. “This is a moment when we get to pause and recognize and celebrate our innovators, our job creators, and the entrepreneurs who shop up every day – every single day – to invest in our communities. They are the ones weaving the fabrics of our main streets – and our South Main Streets [where ORMS is physically located] – strengthening our neighborhoods and driving our economy forward.”
SBA District Director Catherine Marx. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Marx noted that Ezovski’s journey truly embodies that spirit of entrepreneurship, using his expertise in real estate and environmental risk to develop an understanding of the field, and then taking a risk to grow a business that supports the success of others. “This year’s Small Business Person of the Year has grown ORMS into a national service provider that is integral to the small business ecosystem, a testament to his perseverance, dedication, and honed expertise. This has created jobs within ORMS and for hundreds of small businesses that rely on his service. His work plays a vital role in powering the American Dream for so many,” she said, adding that it doesn’t happen overnight.
“It takes wisdom, it takes resilience, and it takes commitment to excellence,” Marx said. Through ORMS, a ripple effect has been created that assists SBA lenders in properly evaluating risk, “giving them the confidence to say yes to projects and loans that otherwise might stall. And with every yes, it means another business opens its doors, it means another business expands their operations, and it creates jobs.”
Mayor Shari Cantor delivers a proclamation to ORMS President Derek Ezovski. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Cantor, whose husband built a small business from scratch, noted that she understands the hours and hours of work involved to reach a level of success. She thanked Ezovski for his contributions, and also thanked West Hartford’s town manager and economic development division for working so hard to support small businesses.
Cantor presented Ezovski and ORMS with a proclamation honoring National Small Business Week and his being named Small Business Person of the Year.
CT DECD Project Manager Sue Decima with ORMS President Derek Ezovski. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Decima noted that in West Hartford, DECD has provided 18 loans for a total of $3.1 million through the Small Business Boost Fund – some of that lending assisted by the work of Ezovski and ORMS.
Conway said that when people think about West Hartford Center “they see the restaurants, they see the shops, they see the coffee. I don’t think enough people look up and know about the really cool, innovative, creative, hard work that goes on in all of these spaces up here,” he said of the ORMS second floor suite, above Blue Elephant Trail on South Main Street.
West Hartford Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Conway congratulates ORMS President Derek Ezovski. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Ezovski said it’s hard to explain what they do – “which is actually the whole reason why our business is so important for small businesses.” When a small business owner is buying a piece of property it may be the only time they buy a piece of property other than their home, but hearing they need an expensive appraisal can be daunting. “So we started this company to try to help the lenders with a piece of the puzzle that they weren’t really experts in.”
ORMS President Derek Ezovski has been named Connecticut’s Small Business Person of the Year. Pictured with SBA District Director Catherine Marx. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Times were tough, and very challenging, when he started the company in 2009, Ezovski said, but they now have 25 people across the country.
“This has been a really big honor,” Ezovski said. Their team is committed to being part of the program, to supporting the American dream, he said.
The CBIA will hold an event in conjunction with the SBA at the Bristol Events Center, in Bristol, CT, on May 6, celebrating all of the 2026 Small Business Week award winners from Connecticut. To attend, register here: National Small Business Week 2026 – CBIA.
ORMS President Derek Ezovski has been named Connecticut’s Small Business Person of the Year. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
ORMS President Derek Ezovski has been named Connecticut’s Small Business Person of the Year. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WFSB) – The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Connecticut and the city of New Haven, arguing their “sanctuary” policies illegally interfere with federal immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, targets Connecticut’s “Trust Act” and local rules that limit cooperation with federal authorities.
Named in the suit are Gov. Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
Federal officials claim these policies violate the U.S. Constitution and allow “dangerous criminals” to be released into the community instead of being handed over to federal agents.
“This lawsuit seeks to end such open defiance of federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
The move is part of a broader federal crackdown on sanctuary cities, with similar legal actions recently filed against Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston.
Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Lawmakers put aside politics on Monday for a good cause, going head-to-head on the field.
Democrats took on Republicans in the Fifth Annual CGA Kickball Classic at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford. All ticket sales go towards charity, with this year’s recipient being United Way of Connecticut.
The Democrats won for the second year in a row, the Republicans had a three-year win streak previously.
“It’s great, especially because we’re coming into the real heat of the legislative session, so it’s a lot of fun to be out here,” State Rep. Jason Doucette (D) said. “We have a fun time with our friends across the aisle.”
“United Way is a great organization, a statewide organization, and all of our local United Ways,” Former House Minority Leader Themis Klarides (R) said. “Especially in this day and age, people need so much help just for their everyday activities and keeping their families going, so we’re just really proud to have them be our charity this year.”
Lawmakers on both sides encouraged Connecticut residents to support their local United Way organization however they can.
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