A baby was safely surrendered in an Indiana Safe Haven Baby box last week, making it the 17th baby placed in a baby box this year.
The latest surrender happened at the EMS Station at 1202 Albany Street. in Beech Grove, Indiana. The box has only been in place since September. The baby is reported to be in good health.
“The Beech Grove EMS Department feels it’s imperative to reach out and inform the community how brave this mother was giving a precious baby a new life,” said Robert Cheshire, Beech Grove EMS director.
The baby box is a temperature-controlled unit placed in staffed facilities like fire stations and hospitals. When a baby is placed inside, the door automatically locks and a silent alarm is triggered, alerting authorities. The child is rescued within minutes and then medically evaluated before it is later placed for adoption. Indiana’s law allows parents to surrender their infants up to 30 days old anonymously.
“Whether we got a baby or we didn’t, we just wanted a safe place for mothers, fathers, to put their child,” said Andrea Finch, a paramedic who spoke about the rescue. “We were blessed to see the box perform exactly as it was intended to be, and that was such a blessing to be a part of. I’m so incredibly proud of the mother for using the resources around her, and to know that we gave the best care possible.”
The Safe Haven Baby Box organization spearheads the effort to get these boxes placed throughout the country, as they offer a safe way for a parent to surrender their infant anonymously. The organization was founded by Monica Kelsey, who herself was abandoned as an infant. “There is a real beauty in seeing the families made with these babies adopted by amazing families. It is a real chance to rewrite tragedy into a blessing,” Kelsey said in a statement.
Per Indiana Law, babies surrendered in safe haven boxes are not placed with the Department of Child Services or foster families. Instead, these infants are placed directly with adoption agencies that work on getting them permanent homes. This child will likely be adopted within 30 to 45 days.
The baby is the seventh surrendered in Indiana this year. The state has 104 boxes altogether, far more than any other state.
