As a firefighter, you are one of the select few in your state who can legally accept a newborn baby from a parent who chooses to give up their child. Forty-six states currently have safe-haven laws that allow parents to turn over unwanted newborns to specified officials without fear of prosecution, but not many people know it’s safe and legal to do so. In addition, many firefighters might not know what to do if a newborn is surrendered to their station. Michigan, one of the 46 states that has adopted a safe haven law, is now taking extra measures to ensure that the public, as well as the professionals required to accept surrendered infants, are aware of and understand the law.

Michigan’s Safe Haven Law

Enacted on Jan. 1, 2001, Michigan’s Safe Delivery of Newborns Law encourages troubled parents to turn over unwanted, unharmed newborns (up to 72 hours old) to a safe environment-specifically, a fire station, police department or hospital-where the baby must be left with an identified on-duty employee inside the building.

Unfortunately, the law hasn’t had the impact that it should. The state’s Safe Delivery Program estimates there have been 12 babies abandoned to unsafe environments since the law took effect. “It’s working, but several abandonments tell us that we have work to do,” says Jean Hoffman, Safe Delivery Program consultant and former director with the Michigan Department of Human Services. “In late 2004, a number of people who had worked on the initiative realized that it had dropped out of awareness, both publicly and professionally.”

Michigan’s Department of Human Services called Hoffman out of her early retirement to help rekindle the initiative. “Our goal was to increase awareness and build an infrastructure around the program so that it could basically run itself,” she explains.

Getting the Word Out

Several other states have similar programs publicizing their safe-haven laws. “Florida is doing a fabulous job at this,” Hoffman says. “Illinois has also been doing quite a bit, and New York has a logo.”

Michigan’s program was partially sparked by a firefighter. “A Michigan firefighter was vacationing in Florida [when he] saw safe haven signs in fire departments there,” says Hoffman. He brought the idea of signage back to his home state, where Hoffman and her team worked with an ad agency in Lansing to create a logo and print up signs, window decals and handbooks for emergency providers. “In June 2006, a letter went out to 445 emergency service providers, offering the signs and handbooks,” Hoffman says. “We started getting orders the next day.

“We initially targeted fire departments that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Hoffman continues. “We’ve sent out 353 window decals and 383 handbooks. The fire departments have been fabulous about putting the signs up.”

According to Hoffman, the program has done so well, it’s run out of materials and funding. The materials were originally paid for by the state’s Children’s Trust Fund, but additional funding is needed to continue the production and distribution of materials to fire departments and other sites that have requested them.

The next phase of the project will involve increasing public awareness. “How do we reach the people we need to reach?” Hoffman asks. “We need to educate the public.”

A Work in Progress

Since the signs and handbooks were distributed, one newborn has been surrendered to a Michigan fire station. “There have been 42 surrenders since the law went into effect in 2001,” Hoffman says. “Most of those were at hospitals, and most were after giving birth.”

After Michigan begins the second phase of publicizing the Safe Delivery Program and more people understand the law, perhaps more Michigan fire stations will need to keep their handbook handy.

Safe Haven Readiness Checklist

Facility

Staff available on site.
Considerations:

• If doors are locked, surrendering parent(s) must be able to access/communicate with an emergency service provider (ESP) in order to have a face-to-face surrender of the baby.
• If staff is dispatched out of the building, a contingency plan should be in place in the event of a surrender.

Policy

Agency has a written policy and/or standard operating guideline (SOG).
Considerations:

• Safe delivery information is readily available to all staff.
• Staff is trained on the law and agency policy.
• Local contact information, including phone numbers, is included.
• Documents to give to parent(s) are readily accessible.
• If there is no policy or SOG, fire departments should consult the model policy and guidelines in the Response and Resource Handbook to develop a policy.

Training

A formal plan for training is in place for all employees.
Considerations:

• Plan to review policy on an annual basis with all staff.
• Information is included for the orientation of all new staff.
• A training Web site will be available in 2006.

Resources

A designated staff person is assigned to ensure the facility is prepared for a surrender.
Considerations:

• Source of documents and how to replenish inventory is known.
• A response to media inquiries is in place.
• Local private adoption agencies willing to place the newborns have been identified (applies to hospital only).

When readiness checklist is complete, your agency is ready to accept a Safe Delivery.

Source: “Michigan Response and Resource Handbook: Safe Delivery of Newborns”