On July 27, a request was brought before the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety to install a Safe Haven Baby Box at the Plymouth Fire Department. A Baby Box is a safety device provided for under the state’s Safe Haven Law and legally permits a mother in crisis to safely, securely, and anonymously surrender if they are unable to care for their newborn. A Baby Box is installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. It has an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn inside the Baby Box and an interior door which allows a medical staff member to secure the surrendered newborn from inside the designated building. The cost for the device is $10,000 plus $200 per year for recertification of the device. The request was unanimously approved by the Board.
Due to the enormous generosity of this community, the money has been raised by donations from; First Brethren Church of Teegarden, New Song Church, Knights of Columbus, Crossroads Church, Elks Lodge, and Randy & Eleanor Danielson. Make Your Move Home Improvement, LLC has donated their services to install the device and to also pay the first five years of the recertification fee.
Any further donations will be used to educate the community about the Safe Haven Baby Box. We plan to use billboards, social media, print media and education within the schools.
If you have questions about this program, you can contact Laura at the Mayor’s Office 574-936-6717 or Safe Haven Baby Box organization at 888-742-2133. You can also check their website at https://shbb.org/
