The public is invited to "a blessing" at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, at Clinton Fire Station No. 2, 264 Hiway Drive South Clinton, where the community can find out more about the Safe Haven Baby Box program in which mothers in crisis can legally leave their infants and protect their identities.
The Isaiah 117 House Anderson County provided funding to place a Safe Haven Baby Box on the back of Bay 1 at Clinton Fire Station No. 2. Tennessee offers four other locations with Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The first in Tennessee was in Knoxville. Clinton marks the 219th location across the country, according to a news release.
Andrea Townsend, Isaiah 117 House program coordinator explained, “We are extremely excited that the city of Clinton will be the new home of a Safe Haven Baby Box. The Safe Haven Baby Box will allow hope and a new beginning for a child in need while providing grace for the surrendering parents. Being a voice to the fatherless and advocating for the children in our community is what we are all called to do.”
Hicks Construction installed the Safe Haven Baby Box.
In addition to the Baby Boxes, the Isaiah 117 House program, confidentiality aids women in crisis with their National Hotline, 1-866-99BABY1. Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas have a Baby Box presence within their state.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes Founder Monica Kelsey shared, “In May of 2023, a brave mother placed her infant in Tennessee's first Safe Haven Baby Box. This state quickly saw how crucial it is to be prepared to protect women in crisis and their infants. We are glad the Clinton community has made it a priority.”
When the door of the Baby Box opens a silent alarm sounds alerting first responders, along with when the infant is placed in the bassinet, and when the door shuts, automatically locking. The infant will immediately be taken to the hospital for medical evaluation and the baby will be with their adoptive family soon. Families seeking to adopt a Safe Haven baby should reach out to their local Department of Family Services to register for foster care to adopt, the release stated.
Since 2017, 43 infants have been safely and legally surrendered in a Baby Box and an additional 148 have been surrendered by handoff with the help of the National Safe Haven Crisis line. These numbers are increasing yearly with the addition of more baby boxes being made available across the country.
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