The City of Mobile recently celebrated the installation of its second Safe Haven Baby Box.
The boxes are being placed across the state following legislation by State Rep. Donna Givens (R-Loxley).
The boxes allow new mothers to safely surrender their newborns without fear of prosecution. Babies may be surrendered up to 45 days after birth. When babies are placed in a box, a delayed alarm alerts officials. The babies are then transported to a local hospital for evaluation. They are then placed in foster care until they are adopted.
“While it’s hard to imagine the circumstances these parents must be facing, we know these boxes have already helped save 217 babies across the United States,” Mayor Sandy Stimpson said.
The new box in Mobile is at the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department’s Crichton Fire Station on Davenport Avenue.
“I can’t imagine a safer place for a struggling parent to surrender their child,” Stimpson said. “I appreciate MFRD’s support of the Safe Haven program. They have bought in, and we are already incorporating Baby Boxes into the designs of two future MFRD stations.”
USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital also has a baby box.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
