WHITLEY COUNTY — Two infants were surrendered in less than a week in northern Indiana under the state's Safe Haven Law.
Last Thursday, an infant was surrendered at a Kosciusko County fire station and a second infant was surrendered at a secure location in Whitley County Monday evening.
Monica Kelsey with Safe Haven Baby Boxes says both women called the "Safe Haven Hotline" to find a safe location to surrender their infants and were met by someone who could help them. She says neither county currently has a Safe Haven Baby Box installed, but they are working with council members in Kosciusko County to get one installed at a fire station there.
“We’re blessed to be able to help these women choose a safe option,” said Kelsey.
She says having a baby box would have made things easier for both mothers, who wanted to stay anonymous.
READ |Central Indiana gets first Safe Haven Baby Box | Seymour student donates Safe Haven Baby Box to fire station
Indiana currently has 6 active Safe Haven Baby Boxes installed in the following areas:
- Woodburn, Indiana
- Chesterton, Indiana
- Michigan City, Indiana
- Carmel, Indiana
- Decatur Township, Indiana
- North Vernon, Indiana
Kelsey says they are planning to announce two new locations in the coming weeks.
Last year, three infants were surrendered in Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Indiana. Since 2016, Kelsey says there have been 45 "hand-offs" of infants similar to the two this past week.
READ | Newborn surrendered to Decatur Twp. fire station | What happens to Indiana's 'Safe Haven' babies?
The goal of Safe Haven Baby Boxes is to make it so mothers have a safe place to surrender their newborns anonymously.
Baby boxes 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.
Indiana's Safe Haven law allows people to anonymously surrender their healthy infants at any fire station in the state without fear of criminal prosecution.
The Safe Haven Baby Box organization also staffs a 24-hour hotline (1-866-99BABY1), so parents can talk to trained professionals about possibly surrendering their baby.
