A Safe Haven Baby Box was blessed in Mishawaka last Wednesday, marking the 300th baby box location in the United States and the 141st in the state, WPTA reported.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes credited the effort to community advocates, including Kay Green and the Knights of Columbus, who worked to bring the device to their city.
“We never know when or where we will be needed, so it is crucial to have options for mothers in crisis. I am grateful for local advocates who take our mission to their community,” said Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
The 300th baby box is located at the Mishawaka Fire Department’s Station #2 on 700 East McKinley Avenue, according to the report.
Bruce and Shelby adopted a baby girl who was lovingly surrendered in our Hammond baby box. Today, their hometown of…
Posted by Safe Haven Baby Boxes on Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Baby boxes are temperature-controlled incubators often built into exterior walls of fire stations, police stations, and hospitals that can be accessed from inside. At-risk mothers can safely and legally place their newborns inside. Once the baby is inside the baby box, the outside door locks and the mother has time to leave before an alarm goes off alerting first responders or hospital staff to the child’s presence.
The baby is then quickly removed and sent to a hospital for a wellness check. From there, the infant is usually placed into state custody and is often adopted quickly.
The organization was founded in 2017 and also offers a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis. Since the organization’s inception, 54 infants have been safely and legally surrendered, and the hotline has assisted with 150 in-person surrenders, according to the report.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.