A young woman and man have come forward to tell authorities they are the parents of a newborn dropped off last week at an Alliance hospital, according to a state spokeswoman.

The baby boy was brought to Box Butte General Hospital on July 20 by his aunt, county officials there said. It was the first use of the amended safe haven law requiring a child be less than 30 days old to take advantage of the law.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services had asked for help in identifying the boy to get family medical history for use now and in the future.

HHS spokeswoman Jeanne Atkinson said the boy was discharged from the hospital and is doing well. He has been placed in state custody and is in a foster home, she said.

Genetic testing is being done to determine if the woman and man who came forward are the biological parents of the baby, Atkinson said.

Atkinson would not say when the couple claiming to be the parents came forward, but it may have been as early as July 22, Box Butte County Attorney Kathleen Hutchinson said.

If the DNA testing determines the couple is the boy's parents, it would be up to the courts to decide the next step, Atkinson said.

As in any case, she said, there are times foster children go home to their parents and times they remain in the state's custody.

Atkinson would not say where the couple was from or provide other information.

Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.