GREENSBURG, Ind. — The City of Greensburg unveiled and dedicated a Safe Haven Baby Box Sunday.
The box marks the 70th installed in the country and 61st in Indiana. It is located at the Greensburg Fire Department.
Washington Township Trustee Christian Rust advocated for the box beginning in 2019 after hearing from another trustee in a different township about having one installed at their local fire department. Fundraising began in late 2020.
Greensburg's Baby Box was dedicated in the memory of Robert Rust, who dedicated himself to protecting children and led Decatur County Right to Life. Rust passed in early 2020. His widow attended Sunday's dedication.
"We are thankful for all the efforts of Decatur County Right to Life in raising the funds for this box to be installed," said Trustee Rust. "We also want to thank Chief Stoermer and Mayor Marsh for working with Washington Township to allow this amazing life-saving device to be installed."
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization's primary goal is to raise awareness of the Safe Haven Law. Women in crisis can call the 24-hour hotline and can receive counseling and assistance.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes allow a mother to surrender her newborn with 100 percent anonymity. The box has many features, including heating and cooling components, an alarm system to alert firefighters to the presence of a baby and a soft light. To date, 11 infants have been placed in Baby Boxes.
Babies surrendered in Indiana under the Safe Haven Law are taken into custody by the Department of Child Services and often placed with an adoptive family within 30 days.
