Whether or not you agree with abortion, it is a legal option for pregnant women in Michigan. But only up to a certain point. After 24.5 weeks, the only way a woman can terminate a pregnancy is if her life is at risk, or the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape. But what about those women who change their mind, or have a chance in circumstances, right before or after the birth? Suddenly becoming a parent when you aren’t prepared for the responsibility can lead to disaster. However, disaster isn’t the only option.
A newborn can be anonymously surrendered in Michigan.
Michigan’s Safe Haven laws allow a parent to safely and anonymously surrender an infant to authorities within 72 hours, or three days, of the child’s birth. No questions asked. No legal backlash. No criminal charges. Which means that if you have a baby, and realize that you aren’t equipped to be a parent, there are safe and legal ways of ensuring that your baby survives and you don’t face criminal charges or a CPS investigation.
A baby abandoned in a dumpster or an unused building has very little chance of survival. A baby handed over to a hospital employee or first responder can be fed, clothed, cared for, and protected until the state can find them a home. Which is exactly why Michigan has a law like this one on the books – for the protection of babies. However, it’s not just babies that benefit from it. Couples who want to be parents but can’t, for whatever reason, have children, a surrendered baby offers the chance at adoption. And believe it or not, even the birth mother benefits.
Surrendering a newborn is beneficial to everyone involved.
For a woman who is very young, frightened, in an abusive relationship, struggling with substance abuse, or homeless, motherhood can be terrifying. Keeping a baby alive and safe and fed is an enormous responsibility, and can be hugely overwhelming, especially when you already have other challenges that make daily life difficult. Abandoning a newborn may seem like a quick and easy solution in the moment, but it can have terrible consequences.
The terrible loss of life, aside, babies who die because of abandonment are vigorously investigated. Which means that very few mothers who abandon newborns are likely to get away with it. Being accused of abandoning a baby to die, even if it doesn’t cause the infant’s death, can lead to very serious criminal charges like First Degree Child Abuse, First Degree Murder, and Child Endangerment. For women who already have other children, it can result in CPS removing their children, and petitioning the court to terminate their parental rights.
Do you need help from a Child Abuse and Neglect Attorney in Michigan?
There are many struggling mothers accused by CPS or the cops, of endangering or abandoning infants. Many of them are in positions where they believed they had no other choice. Many of them are alone, afraid, and uninformed of their choices. It’s a tragedy. But it can be avoided. Join us next time for a break down on Michigan’s Safe Haven Law, and a look at exactly how the process works.
Until then, if you or a loved one have been accused of endangering or abandoning a child, call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245. Our skilled CPS defense attorneys can help you deal with criminal charges, CPS investigations, and parental rights termination petitions in family court. We are available, night and day, at 866 766 5245. Call now and speak to an experienced defense attorney today!