Financial and Legal Concerns After Pregnancy Loss

Our Mott and VonVoigtlander Memorial Garden is located at Arborcrest Cemetery (2521 Glazier Way, Ann Arbor, MI  48105, 734-761-4572).  Simple burials in the memorial garden are offered at no charge to families during their regular business hours Monday-Friday. Simple burial means that the cemetery staff prepares the burial plot, places the burial box in the plot and covers the plot but there is no ceremony for the burial. 

Some families who chose to be present may recite a poem, read a spiritual piece or say some loving words. Some families also chose to leave mementos at the burial site.  Families are not able to select the location as burial plots are pre-arranged. Burials can occur with or without family present and a temporary marker is placed at the burial site.  While there is no charge for the burial, some families choose to have a permanent marker which is a cost to the family arranged directly with the cemetery.      

If a baby was non-live born, arrangements can be made for a direct burial from the hospital without having to work through a funeral home. If a baby was live born, a funeral home must be involved..

Michigan Medicine works with a local funeral home to provide cremation at no charge to the family. These cremations are supported for pregnancy losses after 12 weeks gestation and older.  Cremations at earlier gestational ages do not provide cremains. If you are interested in learning more about this option, you may speak with your social worker or contact the Children’s and Women’s Bereavement Program by calling 734-615-3122.

If you do not wish to make private arrangements for cremation or burial through a funeral home, the hospital can arrange for a cremation though pathology for a non-live birth only. There is no charge for this plan. However, if you choose this option, Michigan Medicine will not be able to return to remains to you.

DHHS offers emergency burial money to go towards the expenses of a funeral or cremation for a pregnancy loss, but generally does not cover the full amount. To see if you qualify, please contact your local county DHHS office before the burial or cremation takes place.  DHHS will not reimburse families for these expenses, so it is important to apply as quickly as possible. Download the Application for State Emergency Relief here.

Contact family and friends, as well as clergy from local religious institutions, co-workers, community groups, or even a medical related support group. Some families use online crowdfunding platforms to raise money for a funeral.

The Funeral Consumer Information Society's Michigan Branch can provide support particularly for low-income families. The Michigan society is part of a national organization that can provide information on resources available to help cover funeral costs. The organization can also provide information on ways to save money on funeral homes, caskets and plots and provide information on the prices a family can expect to pay them as well as answering other questions that may come up. Visit the Funeral Consumer Information Society website.

The Ike and Ella Fund is a 501(C)3 charity that provides financial support to assist parents who have experienced the loss of a child to cover funeral, cremation, and burial expenses. Of note, this is a Christian organization. Visit the Ike and Ella Fund website.

The TEARS Foundation seeks to compassionately lift a financial burden from families who have lost a child by providing funds to assist with the cost of burial or cremation services. The TEARS Foundation pays the funeral home and/or cemetery directly and there must be an outstanding balance in order to receive assistance.  Visit the TEARS Foundation website.

Birth certificates are completed only when a baby was live born. Documentation for the birth certificate is typically completed by the parent(s) with Vital Records at the hospital prior to the mother’s discharge. Call the Vital Records office at the hospital 734-936-7481 if you have questions about how to receive the certificate. 

Babies who were stillborn do not receive a birth certificate, but can receive a Certificate of Remembrance from Von Voigtlander Hospital. Contact the Children’s and Women’s Bereavement Program if you would like to request a Certificate 734-615-3122

If a baby was live born and has died, a Death Certificate needs to be completed. It is the responsibility of the funeral director the family is working with to have the death certificate filed. The funeral director will assist with the process and give you an idea of the number of copies you will need. There is a cost for the certified death certificate, but it is typically less to order certificates through the funeral home than through the County Clerk’s office at a later time. 

If you need additional certified copies, you can obtain them from the County Clerk’s Office in the county in which the baby died. Michigan Medicine is located in Washtenaw County. The Washtenaw County Clerk/ Register of Deeds Office can be contacted at 734-222-6720 or https://www.washtenaw.org/283/Death-Certificates. There is a cost for each certificate.

If your baby was stillborn, a social security number is not available.  

If your baby was live born, you can choose to apply for a social security number for the baby.  Some families choose to obtain a social security number for their baby as another way to validate the life of their baby. Some families choose to obtain a social security number for their baby as they are able to claim their baby as a dependent when taxes are filed the year the baby was born and died. 

Please be aware that as you access information about obtaining a social security number, the information available is written from the standpoint of a living baby.  The information provided can be difficult for bereaved families to read as it does not account for families who have had a baby die. 

If you have specific questions, Contact Social Security Administration Customer Service 800-772-1213 or you may find the link to their website here.

If your baby is stillborn, they are not able to be claimed as a depended on a tax return. 

If your baby was live born and is a “qualifying child” during the year, claiming the baby on your tax return is generally allowed. Please seek the advice of a professional tax preparer to understand your family’s eligibility.