NILES — The Michigan State Police Niles post announced recently that parents with an unexpected pregnancy who believe they are unable to raise their newborn child have options to safely, legally and anonymously leave an infant no more than 72 hours old in safe places.

Parents can surrender their infant to an emergency service provider. An emergency service provider is a uniformed or otherwise identified employee or contractor of a fire department, hospital or police station that is inside the building and on duty, or a paramedic or emergency medical technician who responds to a 911 call.   

The law allows a parent to surrender an infant without breaking any laws or giving any identifying information. Although the parent remains anonymous, he or she is encouraged to provide family and medical background that could be useful to the child in the future. After the newborn is placed in the temporary protective custody of the emergency service provider, the infant is examined at a hospital and if no signs of abuse or neglect are found, the infant is released to the temporary protective custody of an adoption agency for placement with an approved prospective adoptive family.

Since 2001, the Safe Delivery of Newborns Law has helped save 155 infants from being abandoned in unsafe locations.

Parents, professionals and the general public can visit michigan.gov/safedelivery for more information or call the toll-free 24-hour hotline at 866-733-7733. Free resources are available to promote public and professional awareness.