MICHIGAN CITY — A hospital in northern Indiana is the first in the state to install a Safe Haven Baby Box.
The box at Franciscan Health in Michigan City went live on Tuesday.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are meant to give mothers a safe place to surrender their newborns anonymously. The group says babies surrendered in their boxes have all been from mothers who did not give birth in a hospital.
READ | Central Indiana gets first Safe Haven Baby Box | Seymour student donates Safe Haven Baby Box to fire station
Indiana now has 7 active Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
They are installed in the following locations:
- Woodburn, IndianaChesterton, Indiana
- Michigan City, Indiana
- Carmel, Indiana
- Decatur Township, Indiana
- North Vernon, Indiana
Last year, three infants were surrendered in Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Indiana. Since 2016, Kelsey says there have been 45 "handed-off" off at safe locations.
READ | Newborn surrendered to Decatur Twp. fire station | What happens to Indiana's 'Safe Haven' babies?
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.
