LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- Legislation that gives parents a new method for parents to anonymously surrender newborn babies is on its way to the Governor’s desk.
Michigan’s safe haven law would be expanded to would allow for safe haven locations – like fire stations – to install a certain type of climate-controlled box. Parents who want to surrender their baby, could put the child in the box and an alarm would sound inside the safe haven location.
Republican Representative Bronna Kahle is a bill sponsor. She says it’s about increasing anonymity to save lives.
“That was done in an effort to reduce the horrible stories we hear about babies being abandoned in a dumpster, babies being abandoned in the woods, and that sort of thing. So really this is simply an extension of our safe haven laws,” she says.
The bills would also give mothers more time to surrender their child without being accused of abandonment.