The baby is a 7-pound girl, according to Monica Kelsey, who created the Safe Haven Baby Box, which is one of only two in the nation. “The most important thing is the child’s welfare. Wheaton's Fire Stations and Police Station serve as "safe places" under the Illinois Safe Haven law, meaning Illinois parents can anonymously relinquish their newborn infant to the care and custody of a safe haven within 30 days of the baby's birth. FERDINAND, Ind. And the boxes are like incubators, with heating and cooling features. “It’s your last option if you don’t want to make the eye to eye contact. Monica Kelsey, originally from Ohio, shared a clip to TikTok detailing how the scheme works, after setting up the program in 2016. Dramatic accounts in the newspapers and television underscored the problem. So when they are in a situation and they need to drop off a child, that is the best location. A parent who leaves a newborn with staff at a safe haven will be offered, but is not required to accept, an information packet, which summarizes the law, explains the rights of birth parents, describes the Illinois Adoption Registry, and provides resources on postpartum health care. The baby must be 30 days old or younger. We don’t know,” said Pawlik. The only way you can get to this baby is from inside the fire station,” Pawlik said. Would Safe Haven Baby Boxes Encourage Illinois Women Not To Abandon Their Babies? Aurora Health Care Gives Baby Boxes to Newborns to Curb Co-Sleeping Deaths Safe sleeping environment to lower infant mortality rates. Illinois' Safe Haven law gives parents a safe way to give up a newborn baby for adoption if they feel like they cannot handle the responsibility. By viewing our video content, you are accepting the terms of our. ILLINOIS' SAFE HAVEN LAW: BACKGROUND AND KEY PROVISIONS OF THE ABANDONED NEWBORN INFANT PROTECTION ACT The Problem From 1991 to 1998, the incidence of newborn abandonment in public places increased 62 percent across the country. After learning that she was abandoned as an infant, Monica Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The Illinois Safe Haven Law went into effect in 2001, two years after Texas passed the first such law in the country. Where’s the baby go? Someone abandoned an infant in Seymour Tuesday less than a mile from a fire station with a Safe Haven Baby Box. A woman abandoned at birth has shared exactly what happens when an infant is left inside a Safe Haven Baby Box, commonly found at fire stations. A healthy newborn baby girl was placed inside the Safe Haven Baby Box at Franciscan Health Hospital in Hammond on Friday, less than 30 days after that box … “If there’s a baby in here, you cannot open that door again. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. These are boxes, under Indiana's Safe Haven Law, that allow a mother in crisis to anonymously and safely surrender her unharmed, unwanted newborn. Baby Safe Haven Law Information ; Day Care Information; Health and Safety Tips for Children; Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect; Protecting Children from Domestic Violence; Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect; Runaways and Missing Kids; Substance Abuse Services and Assistance; Loving Homes. Under Illinois’ Safe Haven Law, parents can leave their baby, no questions asked, at hospitals, emergency care facilities, police stations and staffed fire stations. In March 1998, a baby was found by two 13-year … National Safe Haven Alliance leaders are the Safe Haven subject matter experts. May 15, 2017. I probably know her brothers and sisters, and I probably know her parents. Installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital, the temperature-controlled box can only be accessed from inside the building, once the baby has been placed inside. Safe Haven Baby Box to be installed at Plymouth fire station. “And the ones we don’t know about.”. 1-800-25-ABUSE (252-2873)DCFS Info and Assistance View up to date information on Illinois’ Covid-19 vaccine plan and vaccination eligibility from the The Texas law was a response to … Three babies were surrendered to firefighters at Safe Haven Baby Box locations. Safe Kids Currently selected. READ | Indiana's Safe Haven Baby Boxes are saving — and changing — lives The infant was the 59th baby surrendered in the … This is totally anonymous here,” Pawlik said. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. The city’s Board of Works authorized the move after $10,000 was raised. It’s a silent alarm.”. Indiana’s Safe Haven Law enables a person to give up an unwanted infant anonymously without fear of arrest or prosecution. 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Two babies have been saved that way in just a couple of years in Michigan City’s Coolspring Township, according to volunteer Fire Chief Mick Pawlik. It has an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn inside the Baby Box, and an interior door which … Now, in this viral TikTok, she's showing moms in need and other communities how it works. Safe Haven Baby Boxes has referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers, assisted in 6 adoption referrals, and have had at least 90 legal Safe Haven surrenders. A healthy newborn baby girl was placed inside the Safe Haven Baby Box at Franciscan Health Hospital in Hammond on Friday, less than 30 days after that box … Well, a lot of times we won’t get the baby. They give them our address. Another alarm trips as soon as a baby is placed in the box, notifying emergency personnel within 30 seconds. The Governor's Budget address will be given at 12pm today. A Safe Haven baby box has been approved for installation at the Plymouth fire station. Chicago Bulls Pick Patrick Williams With 4th Overall Selection in 2020 NBA Draft St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago unveiled a baby box weeks ago. CHICAGO (CBS) — It may not look like much, but to some the silver door of a Safe Haven Baby Box is a lifesaver. Billboards are another way Kelsey says Safe Haven Baby Boxes gets the word out, and she says numbers from the areas where billboards have been placed show that they're working. It’s equipped with a heating and cooling feature, and according to its creator, Monica Kelsey, this has never failed in any of the 15 locations. Safe Haven Baby Boxes is an organization that was founded by Monica Kelsey (an abandoned infant herself) and is geared towards giving mothers in crisis a chance to … The baby box allows a mother in crisis to legally and anonymously surrender a newborn she is unable to care for. Safe Haven baby boxes are not the answer and safe haven baby box can malfunction causing death to the newborns. In simple terms, this means that a baby can be handed over to a designated safe place where people will take care of that baby. ©2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. And she said they get calls from Chicago mothers asking where the nearest box is. Safe Haven Baby Boxes are installed in more than 60 locations across Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas Florida and Arizona. • The Safe Haven Laws have been updated to include Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Arizona • A total of 24 baby boxes are available or planned to be available in Indiana, Ohio, and Arkansas by the end of 2019. A Baby Box is installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. This idea needs more than support to become a reality in Illinois. They're usually located outside fire stations or hospitals. “Her hotline will get a call from people from Chicago wanting to know where the nearest box is, and the hotline will try to tell them, ‘Take it to a hospital. "It's so beautiful to see, something that could have been so tragic is just so beautiful. (WFIE) - An important day for Dubois County as a Safe Haven Baby Box was unveiled Thursday in Ferdinand. The Safe Haven Baby Box in Hammond went live on August 7, 2019. A Baby Box is a safety device provided for under state’s Safe Haven Law and legally permits a mother in crisis to safely, securely, and anonymously surrender if they are unable to care for their newborn. Safe Haven laws protect babies and the person relinquishing them The general rule is that if a … CHICAGO (CBS) — It may not look like much, but to some the silver door of a Safe Haven Baby Box is a lifesaver. MILWAUKEE – In an effort to protect newborns from risk of co-sleeping deaths, Aurora Health Care is now providing a Baby Box—a safe sleeping environment for newborn babies—to each newborn baby born at Aurora facilities, at no cost … If you need help finding a safe haven location or to speak to a licensed counselor call our National Safe Haven hotline at 1-866-99BABY1. As of now, 46 different Safe Haven Baby Boxes … View using these links: Abandoned Newborn Infant Brochure & Poster (Downloadable Adobe Acrobat versions), Abandoned Newborn Infant Act Information Card, Abandoned Newborn Infant Act Information Card - Spanish, Abandoned Newborn Infant Act Information Card - Polish, To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call It is a safe haven … You can leave your newborn baby with workers at a safe place with no questions asked if: The baby has not been hurt; and ; The baby is less than 30 days old. Kelsey said her research found that some women want complete anonymity and don’t want to have the face to face interaction the Safe Haven Law in Illinois requires. The anonymity of the Safe Haven Baby Box is a last resort for women in crisis. Photo courtesy of Baby Safe Haven Boxes. There has been local, national and even international push back about Safe Haven Baby Boxes, arguments that they don’t allow for specific medical attention, involvement in the adoption process or any kind of record of origin for when the baby grows up. “If a woman brought me a child today, chances are I know her. 217-524-2029. If the baby is less than 30 days old and is not harmed, then no charges will be filed whatsoever. There are many new parents who feel they cannot take care of their child and that there is nowhere to turn. She’s not going to feel comfortable bringing a child to me knowing I’m going to know her identity, but would she use one of the boxes?”. The infant was surrendered into the box on September 6, just 30 days later. Ten babies have been surrendered in one of our 60 baby boxes. Safe Haven Baby Boxes also has a 24-hour hotline (1-866-99BABY1) that women in need can call. 800-232-3798 / Copyright © 2020 IL Department of Central Management Services, Protecting Children from Domestic Violence, Grandparents and Older Caregivers Raising Children, Heart Gallery of Illinois – Children in Need of a Forever Family, Promoting Independence and Self-Sufficiency, Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), State of Illinois Coronavirus Response Site. Home of Safe Haven Baby Box #2--Coolspring Fire Dept in Michigan City, IN pic.twitter.com/bGK8e0sJVG — Safe Haven Baby Box (@SafeHavenBox1) May 4, 2016 So far, Kelsey’s nonprofit, Safe Haven Baby Boxes , has added two boxes at firehouses in Indiana, with the first box installed at … Adoption; Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent State of Illinois Coronavirus Response Site. “The minute that door is open there’s an alarm that goes off. “I’m a firefighter and a medic in Indiana, and my husband is the mayor of our city,” she said. The Illinois Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act allows parents to relinquish their unharmed infants to staff in safe havens … Take it to a fire department.’ This is a last resort. “The question is, why are there only 44 across the country,” he said. There’s a button outside, an optional third alarm. It’s the one in Coolspring Township more than 45 miles away. The newborn was found a short distance from a Safe Haven Baby Box, located at 605 Meadowbrook, where newborns can be safely surrendered. Posting under the username @safehavenbabyboxes, she demonstrated […] Seymour Police are focused on finding the mother and making sure she is okay. “This is a better alternative than the dumpsters, the garbage cans” said Pawlik. The Safe Haven Baby Box is available to new mothers who wish to utilize Indiana's Safe Haven Law, which enables a person to give up an unwanted infant anonymously without fear of arrest or prosecution. The boxes allow a newborn to be legally surrendered under Indiana’s Save Haven … Safe Haven Law & Baby Boxes Indiana and the Safe Haven Law Since 2001, Indiana has had a “ safe haven ” law on record. Two babies have been saved that way in just a couple of years in Michigan City’s Coolspring Township, according to volunteer Fire Chief Mick Pawlik. They all alert police, fire and EMS to come pick that baby up within three to five minutes. And the parents that have these babies are so blessed and so thankful that these mothers did the right thing. Indiana Locations Box #1: Woodburn City Fire Department- 22731 Main St Woodburn IN 46797 ; Box #2: Coolspring TWP Fire Department-7111 W 400 N, Michigan City, IN 46360 The Safe Haven Law currently on the book would have to change to include use of something like baby boxes. The Naperville Police Department and all 10 Naperville Fire Stations serve as safe havens under the Illinois Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, which offers a protected legal alternative to unsafe infant abandonment. Bella said it’s great that Merrillville joined other municipalities to have a Safe Haven Baby Box.