The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Deputies seek answers on infant
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 12, 2007
The reward for information leading to the identification of an abandoned infant's mother has been raised to $6,000.
Advertisement
The baby was discovered on March 19, near a fence on the back property of Motel Manor in Ypsilanti Township. Washtenaw County Sheriff's Commander Dave Egeler said tips have been made, but none have lead to a substantial lead.
He said the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees voted to offer $5,000 to an informant, which can be added to the $1,000 reward from Crime Stoppers. Egeler said the township has a special reward fund set aside to reward informants in special cases.
"This one fits the bill," he said.
To prevent this type of tragedy from occurring, Egeler said state law allows mothers to anonymously drop infants off with authorities within the first 72 hours of the child's birth. Called the Safe Delivery of Newborns Act, it has been on the books since 2001.
He said rather than harming a baby or leaving it unattended, a mother can drop a baby off with a police department, fire department or hospital and remain anonymous. Only questions regarding the infant's health are asked.
"That can be done without risk," Egeler said. "It would have been a preferable action to take."
Karen Shock, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Human Services, said 47 babies have been "protected" since the law has been enacted. She said 100 infants are abandoned in the U.S. every year, 33 percent of those are found dead.
It's not necessary," Shock said. "It's totally preventable."
"There are lots of people waiting to adopt a child," Shock said. "(The babies) are adopted by families that truly do want them."
One of the first steps taken after an infant is left with authorities is to make sure it is healthy.
"We're going to make sure the baby gets to a hospital," Egeler said.
Lauren Stokes, a spokeswoman for St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, said the hospital has not seen any babies abandoned under the law, but there is hospital protocol to follow if they do.
"We'd care for the baby, make sure it's O.K.," Stokes said.
After a health check, she said the hospital would notify Child Protective Services, which is a program under the Department of Human Services. Shock said the department tries to avoid foster care in these situations.
"They identify adoptive placements," Shock said. "The goal is to place them with a family as quickly as possible."
Of the 47 infants who have been left with authorities, she said there have been no investigations to discover the identity of the mother. She said there have no child protection cases.
This year there is a new feature to the law, Shock said a mother can now call 911, instead of having to drive to the authorities.
She said the mother must stay with the infant until some one comes to pick up the baby. Although no mothers have used the new feature, she said hopefully instances like the one in Ypsilanti Township could be avoided.
Anyone with information about the mother of the abandoned baby is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP, or 1-800-773-2587, or the Washtenaw County Sheriff's tip line at 734-973-7711.
For more information about the Department of Human Services and the Safe Delivery of Newborns Act, visit the Web site www.michigan.gov/dhs.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
TOP JOBS
