GRAND LEDGE, Mich. (WOOD) — Efforts are underway in Lansing to legislate care for babies born with drugs in their system.
Two bills introduced to the state legislature Tuesday by Republican Sens. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge and Margaret O’Brien of Portage were inspired in part by a Target 8 investigation and would require a “Plan of Safe Care.”
Jones says it’s time for the state to step up in its support for babies and their mothers as the nation battles an opioid epidemic.
“I was shocked when WOOD TV brought it to my attention,” Jones said.
In November of last year, Target 8 reported that a state watchdog agency found babies born with illegal drugs in their system were more likely to die within a year than other children.
“This bill will guarantee that somebody from DHHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) will be watching that baby and the mother,” Jones said. “It may be a visiting nurse, it may be a social worker, it may be somebody’s that’s an expert in rehab, but everybody is going to be paying attention. It will be mandated.”
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