LANSING – In an effort to eliminate incidences in which newborns are abandoned in hazardous locations, DHS Director Marianne Udow, Michigan Department of Community Health Director Janet Olszewski and Michigan State Police Director Col. Tadarial J. Sturdivant today joined together to remind parents that the Michigan Safe Delivery of Newborns law provides a safe alternative for both the child and parent.

"Many of the parents who abandon newborns are teens or young adults who are not ready emotionally or financially to be a parent," Udow said. "While there are a number of reasons a young, scared parent may abandon a baby, this newborn abandonment phenomenon has led many states to look at how they can prevent these incidents from occurring, thus saving lives."

Under Michigan’s Safe Delivery of Newborns law, a parent can anonymously surrender an infant, from birth to 72 hours of age, to an emergency service provider – a uniformed (or otherwise identified) employee of a fire department, hospital or police station that is inside the building and on duty. Granholm was a supporter of the law that went into effect in January 2001, 32 newborns have been safely surrendered in Michigan.

"By surrendering their newborn to an emergency service provider, a parent can be assured they are leaving their child in a safe environment where he or she will be well taken care of," Sturdivant said.

A toll-free, 24-hour telephone line has been established to provide information on services available to a prospective parent. That toll-free number is: 1-866-733-7733.

According to the law, the parent has the choice to leave the infant without giving any identifying information to the emergency service provider. While a parent may remain anonymous, he or she is encouraged to provide family and medical background that could be useful to the baby in the future.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that as many as 100 newborns are abandoned in public places each year, with nearly a third of those infants found dead.

Once a newborn is in the custody of an emergency service provider, the baby is taken to a hospital for an examination. If there are no signs of abuse and/or neglect, temporary protective custody is given to a private adoption agency for placement with an approved adoptive family. If the examination reveals signs of abuse and/or neglect, hospital personnel will initiate a referral to Children’s Protective Services for an investigation.

"There are many families out there who want to adopt a newborn," Udow said. "This law helps ensure that newborns who are unwanted by their birth parents have a good home where they can grow up healthy and happy."

New signage for Safe Delivery locations was also unveiled during today’s news conference at the Sparrow Professional Building in Lansing. The new signs designating hospitals, fire stations and police stations as Safe Delivery sites will be posted in the next couple of months at sites across the state.