The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety members considered a request last week to install a Safe Haven Baby Box at the Plymouth Fire Department building.
Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, spoke to the board members last week that the idea behind the baby box is a mother can abandon a baby in a secured area where an alarm will sound to let responders know the child is there. Care for the child can then be obtained after that. Kelsey said there are about 40 boxes in the state of Indiana.
“They’re heated and cooled and they’re alarm-activated,” she explained. “The average time for a baby in our boxes is right at two minutes. That gives mom just enough time to get away. It allows her the anonymity that she’s requesting. We’re averaging a baby a month which is actually a good thing when you think that this baby could have ended up in a dumpster.”
She mentioned that the upfront cost is about $10,000.
“The upfront cost is a little bit higher, but for the next 20 years you don’t pay for repairs, or upkeep, or if we change anything on this box via upgrades based on electronics.”
There is a $200 annual recertification fee, but that is typically covered by donors.
The baby boxes are usually installed at a fire station and Plymouth Fire Chief Rod Miller said he is in support of the program and in support of installing it at the fire department.
Plymouth Promotions of the City Coordinator Laura Mann said there are enough donors to install the Safe Haven Baby Box that it will not cost the city any money.
The board members approved the request with a unanimous vote.
