HOWARD (NBC 26) — The fourth Safe Haven Baby Box finds a home in northeast Wisconsin. NBC 26 spoke to some of the people who made it happen ahead of the box being opened for public use on Saturday.
- Get an inside look at the Safe Haven Baby Box installed at the Howard Fire Department.
- According to their website, Safe Haven Baby Box's mission is to be a last resort option for surrendering a child safely with complete anonymity.
- There are three other Safe Haven Baby Boxes in the state of Wisconsin.
- The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families says it is also allowed to anonymously give up a newborn to a law enforcement officer, emergency medical service people, or hospital staff.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story with additional details for the web.)
A year ago, the Knights of Columbus at Saint John the Baptist Church in Howard learned about Safe Haven Baby Boxes. So, they got to work trying to bring one to the village.
"It seemed like a no-brainer," said Jerry Mader of the Knights of Columbus.
Howard Fire's newly installed baby box is one of the first in the state.
"We all pray that anyone who finds out that they're going to become a parent can be a good one," Mader said. "But if they can't, or they won't, for whatever reason, there's a child that still needs to be protected and taken care of."
According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, anyone can leave an unharmed newborn fewer than three days old in one of these boxes without legal trouble.
"If a person chooses, they can do it completely anonymously any time of the day without having direct contact with a person. So, it gives a person in crisis more options," Howard Fire Department Chief Dennis Staeven said. "People may be just absolutely apprehensive at having to talk to somebody and again, just making that other option available may help them make a better decision."
But, the state says a person giving a baby up would have to identify themselves if the baby has been harmed, if someone is being forced to give up the baby, or if the child is more than three days old.
"It's a device that hopefully is not necessarily used often," Staeven said. However, he told NBC 26 that the department is excited to have the box available to the public and has trained to help any newborns that may be left at the fire station.
When the baby box is used, the outside door will lock after someone places a newborn inside the bassinet and closes it. After the newborn is there for one minute an alarm will sound in the fire station and the police will be called.
Staeven said within two minutes, someone should be there to bring the baby to the hospital.
Inside the box, the person surrendering the baby can find a folder with resources and information about how to possibly regain contact with the child.
The Safe Haven Baby Box at the Howard Fire Department will be open for public use after a dedication ceremony on Saturday morning.
