A Safe Haven Baby Box in Little Rock, Arkansas welcomed two infants in just a few weeks, before the box was even dedicated in a blessing ceremony.
“In just the last few weeks, we have had two instances of parents who have surrendered their newborn babies at our fire stations because they believed they had no other choice, for whatever the reason,” Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said.
The Safe Haven Baby Box organization installs temperature-controlled units in the side of fire stations or similar buildings in various states throughout the country. When a child is placed inside, the box automatically locks and triggers a silent alarm alerting first responders, who retrieve the child within minutes. The baby is often taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, and then later placed for adoption. According to WITN, these infants are usually adopted within 30 to 45 days in the state of Arkansas.
“I know the significance of this being in this business for over 29 years and making those calls where you have a baby that has been left on the side of the dumpster,” Little Rock Fire Chief Delphone Hubbard said.
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“Our ultimate responsibility in each of those cases was to protect the infant’s well-being. The installation of a Safe Haven Baby Box will ensure parents in crisis will have a 24/7, last-resort option to surrender their newborns and ensure the health and safety of the child,” Scott said.
The box was available thanks to funding by Calvary Baptist Church.
“While it is unfortunate that these are necessary, I appreciate the support of Calvary Baptist Church, Chief Hubbard and the Fire Department and others who have worked to install the first baby box in Little Rock,” Scott added.
Each state has a law allowing a parent to safely surrender an infant. In Arkansas, that infant must be 30 days old or younger and brought to a hospital emergency room, law enforcement agency, or fire department that is staffed 24 hours a day; alternatively, the baby may be placed anonymously in a Safe Haven Baby Box.
