By Tessa Redmond
Kentucky Today
Parents in crisis now have access to another safe, legal, anonymous infant surrender option in Northern Kentucky. State and local officials, pro-life advocates and community members celebrated the opening of Kentucky’s 71st Safe Haven Baby Box with a blessing ceremony recently.
Kentucky Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer called the day “a powerful day” for her community.
“This box stands as a promise of safety, protection, and unconditional grace: No Blame. No Shame. No Name,” Funke-Frommeyer wrote in a Facebook post. “A huge thank you to Chief Danny Schultz and the entire Central Campbell County Fire District team for opening their hearts and doors to protect our most vulnerable.”
The Safe Haven Box is located at the Central Campbell Fire District building at 4113 Alexandria Pike.
Under state law, infants up to 30 days old can be surrendered face-to-face at designated locations, such as fire stations, police stations, hospital emergency rooms or an Emergency Medical Services station–or anonymously in Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The electronically monitored, temperature-controlled box locks after an infant is placed inside and a silent alarm is triggered when the device is closed, alerting on-staff personnel to the surrendered baby.
It’s a community resource two years in the making.
Bella Bailey with the Diocese of Covington reported Fire Chief Danny Shultz and his department investigated adding a Safe Haven Baby Box, but the plans were sidelined by the steep cost — that is, until a local church member offered to fundraise the $15,000 or more needed for the box itself and installation.
State Rep. Nancy Tate told WLWT5 the cost of baby boxes is due to the technology that keeps infants safe.
“If you’re in Fargo, North Dakota, and it’s 10 below, the conditions in the box are 72 degrees. If you’re in Kentucky and it’s 110 degrees, then it’s still 72 degrees in that box. It’s really important for our baby to be kept comfortable until the medical services can reach the baby. Most of the babies that have been surrendered still had the umbilical cord attached,” Tate said.
More than 70 babies have been surrendered in the 470-plus Safe Haven Baby Boxes located in 24 states nationwide.