Baby Surrendered To Indy Fire Station Following Baby Box Expansion

An anonymous parent surrendered a newborn baby this weekend at a fire station that’s set to receive the third “baby box” in the state.

A parent surrendered a newborn baby Sunday evening to firefighters at the Decatur Township Fire Department. Under the Indiana Safe Haven Law, passed in 2000, parents may anonymously surrender their unharmed newborn at any fire station without fear of criminal prosecution.

A new law, that went into effect July 1, allows fire stations like the Decatur Township Fire Department, which are staffed 24 hours a day, to install baby boxes.

A Safe Haven Baby Box is under construction at the station, but has been delayed by one to two weeks due to permit restrictions.

“We have reason to believe the parents were here looking for the baby box, didn’t find the baby box and surrendered to a person,” says Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey. “This baby could’ve ended up in a dumpster, but these parents cared enough to make sure this baby was placed in a safe place.”

There are two other baby boxes in Indiana, both in firehouses – one in La Porte County and one in Allen County.  Two infants have been surrendered in these Indiana boxes since they were installed.

Kelsey has said that the state’s baby boxes are heated and connected to emergency services, making it a safe way to anonymously surrender an infant.  Critics of the law argue it creates almost no safety regulations for the boxes.

Kelsey also says the most important message she wants to spread is that help is available. She says the presence of Baby Boxes strengthens the anonymity component of the Indiana Safe Haven Law, but they are still an emergency option.

The Safe Haven Baby Box organization also staffs a 24-hour hotline for parents in crisis.