By Dave Andrusko
Sometimes the power of small victories goes unnoticed and unappreciated. But not so with the Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Kokomo, Indiana.
Writing for WRTV, James Howell, Jr. tells us that earlier this month, a baby girl was surrendered at the Kokomo Fire Station #1, the 5th in Indiana this year and the 12th baby saved in the country. Kokomo Fire Chief Chris Frazier said, “The Mother lovingly made the decision to make sure her daughter was safe and given excellent medical care by the Kokomo Firefighters and St Vincent/Ascension Paramedics.” Frazier added, “Although these are hard choices to make, we applaud the mother for giving her daughter the chance at life through an anonymous, safe and legal option.”
Frazier said the Fire Department installed their Safe Haven Baby Box on June 11, 2020, assisted by the Knights of Columbus.
Baby boxes, Howell writes, “are safe incubators that have alarm systems, so 911 is notified as soon as a baby is placed inside. The baby boxes also have heating and cooling features.”
Safe Haven Hotline
While the boxes grab the headlines, “the Safe Haven Hotline is where most of these journeys begin,” Howell writes.
SHBB staffs a 24-hour Safe Haven hotline (1-866-99BABY1), so parents can talk to trained professionals and get more information about their options for surrendering or how to get assistance to help them be able to care for their child.
The SHBB hotline is staffed by licensed counselors.
The Safe Haven Law allows mothers to safely surrender their infants, anonymously, up to 30 days old
Under the Safe Haven Law, parents have up to 30 days to change their mind once they surrender an infant.
Monica Kelsey, Safe Haven Baby Box Founder, “discovered she was abandoned shortly after birth later in her adult life,” Howell writes. “Since then she has been on a mission to end infant abandonment in the U.S.”
“We are so grateful to this birth mother for bravely and lovingly surrendering her infant. It is a joy each and every time we get a call saying we have a baby in a Box,” Kelsey said. “When we are prepared to aid women in crisis we can positively impact so many. A family who has been eagerly awaiting a baby to adopt has their life forever changed for the better.”