Three newborns safely surrendered in 5 weeks at Indiana fire station's baby box
A third baby was surrendered at the same Safe Haven Baby Box in five weeks at an Indiana fire station.
The Carmel, Indiana Fire Department announced Wednesday a third baby was safely surrendered to their baby box.
It's the third in 5 weeks, which is a first in Safe Haven Baby Box history.
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"This is truly a historical moment," Safe Haven Baby Box Founder Monica Kelsey said.
The baby boxes are named after the Indiana Safe Haven Law, which was enacted 20 years ago and enables a person to give up an infant no more than 45 days old anonymously and without fear of arrest or prosecution. Indiana is one of five states that have a Safe Haven law.
It's a record year for the Safe Haven Baby Box, Kelsey said, with 11 babies being safely surrendered to a fire station baby box in 2022.
The baby boxes are named after the Indiana Safe Haven Law, which was enacted 20 years ago and enables a person to give up an infant no more than 45 days old anonymously and without fear of arrest or prosecution. Indiana is one of five states that have a Safe Haven law.
Kelsey, who was herself abandoned as an infant, said the effort to equip firehouses with the boxes aims to eliminate situations where babies are placed in danger by women or parents seeking to abandon their infants.
Each box is climate-controlled with an automatic lock mechanism. When the box is opened, a silent alarm is triggered, alerting 911 dispatch and the fire department of a drop-off. Each costs about $15,000 to install.