Our History
THE PURPOSE of the organization is to prevent infants who are born with disabilities from being given away or abandoned at birth. This is accomplished on several fronts simultaneously. To begin by creating an atmosphere of acceptance of he children already living within the community.
SECONDLY, by providing the services of a variety of temporary homes that are made available, on a moments notice, to provide immediate, temporary, quality care for those children at risk for adoption, abandonment, etc. This respite allows the biological parents experiencing an intense level of post partum stress an opportunity to make an informed and relatively pressure free choice as to how to proceed with their newborn. These services are all funded privately so as to prevent governmental involvement. This is necessary in order to prevent compromising an infants placement in a setting that may be contrary to halachah.
THIRDLY, by offering all of the hospitals serving the orthodox Jewish community access to our expertise, experience, and excellence in explaining the various issues involved and by describing in detail the emotional, spiritual, and physical risks of keeping or surrendering their infants. Over the years the organization has evolved into serving primarily the orthodox Jewish population of infants and children born with Down syndrome because as a group this particular population is easily identifiable and easily misunderstood or victimized out of ignorance or superstition. The organization is located in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn with representatives worldwide and has served over 5000 families the world over since its inception in 1990. At any given moment there is a group of at least 5 families who are certified and prepared to accept a child who is at risk of being abandoned.