State officials are racing to let people know about a new law that allows parents to leave newborns in certain places without fear of prosecution.
“Until individuals become aware of the new act, it probably won’t have any effect,” Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus said Monday at a news conference at a Lansing hospital. “Our job is to get across the idea that young moms in crisis now know there is a safe place to take their baby.”
This month, Michigan became the 29th state to enact a “safe delivery” law. The law allows parents to abandon infants who are 72 hours old or less at hospitals, police stations or fire stations. Before the law passed, abandoning an infant was a 10-year felony.
The state is spending $600,000 on the program, including $13,575 so far to print and distribute 200,000 brochures. The brochures have been sent to police and health workers as well as to schools.
The brochures explain the law and include the number of a toll-free, 24-hour crisis line.
The infant will be placed for adoption, and the parent can petition to regain custody within 28 days.
