NEW HAVEN, Ind. (WOWO) – Officials in New Haven opened a Safe Haven Baby Box on Sunday, December 29 at the New Haven Fire Station located on Hartzell Road.
The baby boxes cost around $15,000 to install and are installed by the Safe Haven Baby Box organization, according to our partners in news at ABC 21.
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes have alarm systems that notify 911 and the staff inside of the fire station as soon as a baby is placed inside of it. The temperature in the boxes are regulated and they are also equipped with a lock that immediately locks as soon as a baby is placed inside.
The Indiana Safe Haven law was passed in 2000 which allows people to surrender their newborn anonymously without fear of criminal prosecution. So far, at least seven babies have been surrendered under the law in 2019.
Anyone who wishes to surrender their newborn can call the Safe Haven Baby Box organization 24 hours a day by calling 1-866-99BABY1. This will give mothers who are considering surrendering their babies the opportunity to speak with a trained professional so they can do it safely.
More than 20 Safe Haven Baby Boxes have been installed across the country.
A Columbia City fire station is planning to open a box on Monday, December 30.
