Idaho has recently become home to its first Safe Haven Baby Box, designed to prevent parents from abandoning their newborns in dangerous conditions that could result in their death. Located at Grove Creek Medical Center on 350 N Meridian in Blackfoot, this device marks the 245th Safe Haven Baby Box across the United States, as reported by Local News 8. Monica Kelsey founded the organization in 2015 to combat infant abandonment; currently, 17 states have adopted baby boxes. The National Hotline, which is confidential and accessible at 1-866-99BABY1 (1-866-992-2291), is also part of the organization’s efforts.
We are thrilled to add Idaho to our states dedicated to end infant abandonment! We have seen time and time again that preparation can save and change lives,” Kelsey stated. We never know when or where we will be needed, so it is crucial to have options for mothers in crisis.
Baby boxes are temperature-controlled incubators often integrated into the exterior walls of fire stations, police stations, and hospitals that can be accessed from the inside. At-risk mothers can safely and legally place their newborns inside these boxes. Once a baby is placed inside the box, the outer 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 taken to a hospital for a wellness check. From there, the baby is usually placed into state custody and is often adopted quickly. At least 50 infants have been surrendered to baby boxes since 2017, according to local news outlets.
The National Safe Haven Crisis line has helped with more than 150 handoff surrenders, and those numbers increase each year,” the report continues. Idaho lawmakers unanimously passed an amendment to the existing Safe Haven Baby Act in March, allowing Safe Haven Baby Boxes to be used, according to the Idaho State Journal. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) quickly signed the law, and it went into effect on July 1.
The new law says that a child has to be 30 days or younger when surrendered to the state’s care, eventually leading to adoption,” according to the report.