Infant abandonment remains a tragic reality when expectant mothers face overwhelming fear, isolation, or crisis without access to immediate support. Many vulnerable women lack awareness of safe, legal alternatives, leaving desperate parents to make dangerous decisions out of panic. Without community networks, round-the-clock crisis response, and clear pathways for confidential assistance, both infants and mothers are left at acute risk.
A Safe Haven for Newborns, founded under the Gloria M. Silverio Foundation, directly solves this problem by providing compassionate, judgment-free resources that prevent abandonment and protect infant life. Led by founder Nick Silverio, the organization operates a confidential, 24/7 multilingual helpline and partners closely with first responders and healthcare providers to facilitate safe infant surrenders and provide maternal aid. In this Executive Q&A, Silverio discusses reaching the milestone of 452 babies saved, the essential role of frontline community partnerships, and his vision for expanding life-saving support.
Q: A Safe Haven for Newborns has reached the milestone of 452 babies safely saved. When you first launched the organization in 2001, did you envision achieving this scale of impact?
Nick Silverio: First i will explain…I am often asked..What does A Safe Haven for Newborns do? I respond, “We save babies from the ultimate in infant abuse, abandonment” thru education, grass roots community involvement, direct assistance and our 24/7 confidential, multilingual helpoline…
The second question is always.. why you? A little background…I had a successful IT software & consulting business for over 25 years. My wife Gloria and I were married for 32 years and although we had no children due to miscarriages, one on a Christmas Eve, we had a deep love for children and served as Godparents to 14 children.
Leaving for work on the morning of 12-7-99, (24 years ago yesterday) I kissed Gloria goodbye. She asked that I come home early to finish the outside Christmas decorations.
Two and a half hours later I received a call from Jackson Memorial Trauma Center that she was involved in a car accident and in critical condition. It was later determined it was caused by a speeding driver. I had to make a heartbreaking decision regarding life support.
Some months later, in the middle of the night unable to sleep, in my dimly lit kitchen I was mindlessly flipping through a magazine, my fingers stopped on a page and I was compelled to look. The article stated that birthmothers were abandoning their newborns in unsafe places around the world, often not surviving. It was an escalating worldwide crisis.
I had an immediate, strong, emotional reaction. I didn’t even have to think about it; I just knew this was God’s plan for me. I would now dedicate my life to saving precious babies from abandonment. So, I established The Gloria M. Silverio Foundation, a 501(c) 3 not for profit dba as A Safe Haven for Newborns. It would be the voice for the newborn and help pregnant girls and women before they reached the crisis stage,
I believed from the beginning if we saved only one life all of our efforts would be worthwhile and that was 452 precious lives ago.
Q: While your mission ensures safe and legal surrenders, your team also works to keep mothers and babies together whenever feasible. How does your 24/7 multilingual helpline provide practical resources to help mothers navigate acute crises?
Nick Silverio: Relying on my business background , I set out to assemble a comprehensive resource database, implement a 24/7 confidential multilingual helpline, establish partnerships to include Fire/Ems and hospitals, provide a wide range of services and public awareness outreach. All services are offered at no charge.
Q: You often credit the collaboration with fire rescue departments and healthcare systems as the key to virtually eliminating infant abandonment in Florida. What makes these frontline partnerships so effective?
Nick Silverio: All fire rescue and health care professionals are trained compassionate individuals and are located in the communities in all 67 counties. All hospitals and 24/7 staffed Fire/Ems stations statewide are designated Safe Haven facilities and display our signage outside of their facility.
Q: Many of the infants saved through your program are now young adults pursuing college degrees and community leadership. How does staying connected with these individuals shape the long-term vision of your foundation?
Nick Silverio:What is more important & meaningful in life than saving a life, especially of a precious, innocent child, and then seeing the child grow; intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually with the love and guidance of their forever parents. So many wonderful life changing stories, the thousands of girls/moms we helped, the hundreds of babies given a chance at life and the hopes and dreams of a forever family fulfilled. Some of these precious children attend our annual Gala and share their stories.
Q: Your organization operates without charging for services, directing funding into public education, hospital signage, and community outreach. How critical is ongoing public awareness in reaching young mothers before they reach a crisis point?
Nick Silverio: It is most critical. We have created community programs as well as awareness outreach throughout the state thru TV, Radio, Billboards, Social Media. Public awareness is saving lives.
Q: As you look toward the future, how is A Safe Haven for Newborns adapting its model to help other states and international communities establish safe infant protection networks?
Nick Silverio: The success of A Safe Haven for Newborns has been recognized in other states and countries as a national model. Other states and countries have sought our help. We have provided assistance and guidance to create similar programs.
Preventing infant abandonment requires immediate, accessible intervention paired with broad public education. By offering an anonymous, supportive lifeline to mothers in crisis, A Safe Haven for Newborns removes fear from the equation and ensures children receive immediate care. Reaching 452 infants saved proves that proactive outreach, clear legal pathways, and comprehensive maternal aid change generational outcomes.
As community awareness expands, establishing reliable crisis systems remains essential to protecting vulnerable families. Sustainable solutions depend on strong coordination among first responders, healthcare facilities, and dedicated advocacy groups. Through Nick Silverio’s steadfast leadership, A Safe Haven for Newborns continues to demonstrate how targeted community action and compassion can safeguard newborns and support mothers across the nation.
In closing, Nick Silverio reflects on Mark Twain’s words: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” For Nick, that second day has already arrived: “I found out why.”
Every life saved starts with community support. Because A Safe Haven for Newborns provides all crisis response, maternal assistance, and outreach services completely free of charge, your generosity directly funds the 24/7 helpline, essential medical coordination, and life-saving public awareness. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today at https://www.asafehavenfornewborns.com/donate to protect vulnerable newborns and give mothers in crisis hope.
To learn more, visit https://www.asafehavenfornewborns.com
