One year later, case of abandoned baby in Halifax remains unsolved

It’s been a year since a baby girl was found abandoned on a doorstep on a busy Halifax street, and police still don’t know where she came from or why she was left there.

The child was found in the 6000 block of Quinpool Road between 4 and 5 p.m. on Oct. 29, 2017. She was estimated to be between four and five weeks old, and was deemed by officials at the IWK Children’s Hospital to be healthy at the time.

But police and hospital staff weren’t able to identify the little girl, who was described as being of African Canadian descent.

“Our primary concern was the safety and well-being of the child,” said Const. John MacLeod of Halifax Regional Police.

“Once we made sure that that was tended to, our next was to try and identify the parents. We have followed all leads available to our investigators at this time.”

At the time, the child was placed into the care of the Department of Community Services. The department’s director of placement services told Global News it was “extremely rare” for a child to be found abandoned.

Officials told Global News last year that they had a 72-hour window to find her parents or other family members before they had to seek a court order to take her into the province’s custody. Her parents have not been found.

Today, the Department of Community Services says it can’t talk about the case. In an emailed statement a spokesperson says there are options for parents in need of support.

“We actively fund and support early intervention programs. There are a number of community-based options available to help persons experiencing stress as it relates to parenting. There are a variety of public and non-profit services and supports for parents, children and families, including public health services, family resource centers and parenting journey,” the statement reads.

One year on, Halifax Regional Police say the case is still under investigation and they are urging the public to come forward with any information.