Baby abandonment box causing fury as ‘Safe Haven’ moves stepped up

It could easily be mistaken for a mailbox, except that one side of it is riddled with air holes. It’s a “baby box” - for parents who wish to anonymously give up their newborns. Indiana could be the first U.S. state to install them, but the plan is facing stiff opposition from those who say it could keep the mother from receiving needed medical care. Indiana already has a Safe Haven law allowing parents to anonymously leave their children at a hospital, fire station or police station.

No shame, no blame, no names.

Monica Kelsey, a firefighter and medic who heads Safe Haven Baby Boxes

The law’s proponents promise that the boxes will be climate-controlled, and be equipped with an alarm system so that the abandoned baby can quickly receive care. State representative Casey Cox, who drafted baby box legislation that was passed by the Indiana House of Representatives and awaits a vote in the state Senate, said his proposed baby boxes are an “alternative to abandonment and abortion”.

Baby boxes remove the chance for a mother to be offered medical care and supportive services.

Dawn Geras, president of Save Abandoned Babies

World Baby box