ROCHESTER, Ind. — The city of Rochester will unveil the state's 74th Safe Haven Baby Box on Tuesday.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc. was founded by retired firefighter Monica Kelsey, who has made it her mission to end infant abandonment. The topic hits close to home for Kelsey, who was abandoned as an infant.
“Since we have placed Safe Haven Baby Boxes we have not found a deceased abandoned infant in Indiana," Kelsey said. "We know that this option is a preventative step that is crucial to ending infant abandonment. It is a joy to see Rochester making this issue a priority for their community and providing a safe place for parents in crisis to surrender their infant should such a situation arise.”
The new baby box will be unveiled during a ceremony on Tuesday that will have Kelsey along with Fire Chief Thomas Butler, Mayor Ted Denton and Congresswoman Jackie Walorski all in attendance.
The new baby box was installed at the Rochester Fire Department, located at 2006 East State Road 14. It can be found on the front of the building west of the bays.
The baby box is meant to be a final resource for women in crisis to ensure a safe surrender of a baby. It's climate-controlled and has a silent alarm system that's triggered when a baby is dropped off. The system alerts first responders who are able to quickly retrieve the baby. There is also a hospital-grade bassinet and blankets inside the box.
In the last three years, 13 babies have been put in baby boxes. Nationwide, 115 babies have been surrendered through the National Safe Haven Baby Box hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-866-99BABY1.
