Noblesville Blesses Indiana’s 105th Baby Box
Noblesville Fire Station 74 will be blessing their Baby Box on Tuesday, September 5th at 3:30 PM EST. The event will highlight the anonymous surrender option that is available 24/7 following the blessing. The fire station is located at 20777 Hague Rd. Noblesville, IN 46062 and the Baby Box is featured on the south side of the building. The Noblesville location marks the 105th Baby Box in Indiana and 162nd in the nation. Fourteen babies have been lovingly surrendered via Baby Box this year.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes fills the void in the Safe Haven movement as the only organization in the nation dedicated to providing an anonymous surrender option for mothers in crisis.
The organization was founded in 2016 by Monica Kelsey who learned in adulthood she was abandoned as an infant. Now her life’s mission is to end infant abandonment and advocate for the Safe Haven Law. In addition to educating citizens on the Safe Haven Law, Safe Haven Baby Boxes provides free confidential counseling via their hotline 1-866-99BABY1.
Kelsey explained, “This area of Indiana has seen several surrenders and we are pleased to offer another location to protect vulnerable women and their children. We are seeing our program successfully offer a safe option for women who are unseen and underserved.”
A Baby Box allows for the legal, safe, and anonymous surrender of an infant provided under the Safe Haven Law. It features three silent alarms alerting first responders to the presence of a surrendered infant. The baby will be attended to within five minutes and taken to the hospital for medical evaluation. Adoption occurs within 30 to 45 days by families who are signed up for foster care with the intention to adopt.
Fire Chief Matt Mitchell stated, “The Noblesville Fire Department is honored to provide a safe, anonymous, life-saving option for mothers and parents that are unsure of where to turn or what to do. The Safe Haven Baby Box exists to help people who have no recourse but to surrender their infant in a way that ensures the child’s safety.”
Since 2017, 35 infants have been placed in a Baby Box. Nationwide, over 130 surrenders have resulted from calling the National Safe Haven Baby Box hotline. Safe Haven Baby Boxes are currently available in Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri and Mississippi.
For any questions Monica Kelsey will be on site at this blessing. For more information please contact Monica at monicakelsey@safehavenbabyboxes.com