NOBLESVILLE — On Tuesday, parents in Hamilton County will have another place to turn if surrendering their child is neccessary.
Noblesville Fire Station 74, located at 20777 Hague Road, will bless their new Safe Haven Baby Box during a public event at 3:30 p.m. outside the station.
The blessing of this box provides the community with another option. In total, there are now 105 baby boxes in the state of Indiana.
In Hamilton County, multiple surrenders have already happened.
In August, Carmel Fire Station No. 45 saw their fourth baby surrendered.
Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey believes the opening in Noblesville is great for a community with so many surrenders already.
“This area of Indiana has seen several surrenders and we are pleased to offer another location to protect vulnerable women and their children," Kelsey said. "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.
Adoption occurs within 30 to 45 days by families who are signed up for foster care with the intention to adopt.
“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," Noblesville Fire Chief Matt Mitchell said. "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."
The baby box at Noblesville's station will be located on the south side of the building.
