WPBN: The third Safe Haven Baby Box in the state of Wisconsin may now be found in Racine. This is a safe and anonymous location where a parent can hand over their newborn child without fear of physical harm.
The recently installed box may be found at the junction of Washington and Lathrop avenues, which is the location of the Racine Fire Station 4 in Racine. It is the same location where Racine welcomed its first and only “safe haven” baby in the past twelve years.
“An individual came to the door and said, ‘I’d like to give my baby up,’ handed it off, and that was the interaction,” Division Chief Joshua Weber stated on Tuesday.
An organization based in Indiana known as Safe Haven Baby Boxes has been providing assistance to organizations in the installation of devices of this kind since the year 2016. At that time, campaigners reported that the boxes had saved the lives of 54 infants across the country.
Mariah Betz, who works with the group, stated that “it does happen a little bit more than people realize it does.” On the exterior of the fire station will be found the installation of Racine’s box.
“We actually have a parking spot for an individual. They come up to the door and literally pull on a latch. The door opens,” Weber stated. “There’s a bassinet inside waiting to receive the baby. They close the door behind them, and that’s it.”
A laser that is housed within the temperature-controlled box has the ability to determine whether or not a baby is present within it. There will be a wait of sixty seconds before an alert is activated within the fire station in the event that there is a newborn present.
“They will go over to assess the baby. Take baby to hospital, and then the hospital will call in the Department of Child Services and find the baby their forever home,” Betz continued.
These kinds of boxes are only found in Reedsburg and Elkhorn, which are the only two other communities in Wisconsin. In December of the previous year, the state modified a statute that allowed for their installation, and since then, all of them have been installed. Betz stated that few more are on their way.
Within the first three days after the birth of their kid, a parent in Wisconsin was already permitted by law to personally hand over their infant to any police enforcement facility, fire station, or medical establishment.
Parents who are experiencing a crisis should call the hotline that is provided by the Safe Haven Baby Box. The phone number in question is 1-866-992-2291.
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