BEECH GROVE — A healthy baby has been surrendered at the Beech Grove Safe Haven Baby Box for the first time since its opening.
The Beech Grove Safe Haven Baby Box opened back in September at 1202 Albany Street, which is the City of Beech Grove's EMS Station.
Although, this is the first baby surrendered at this location, this makes the seventh baby surrendered in Indiana this year and the 17th baby surrendered at any Safe Haven Baby Box in 2023.
LIST | Find a Safe Haven Baby Box Near You
What is a Safe Haven Baby Box?
Baby boxes are safe incubators that have alarm systems, so 911 is notified as soon as a baby is placed inside. The baby boxes also have heating and cooling features.
READ | Meet Grace: One of Indiana's Safe Haven babies
Once the infant is collected by first responders, they're taken to the nearest medical facility to be evaluated.
Infants surrendered under Indiana's Safe Haven Law are placed in the custody of the state's Department of Child Services after they are released from the hospital. The process then begins to find an adoptive family within 30-45 days.
READ MORE | Newborn surrendered at Schererville Safe Haven Baby Box
Safe Haven Hotline
The boxes make the news, but the Safe Haven Hotline is where most of these journeys begin.
SHBB staffs a 24-hour Safe Haven hotline (1-866-99BABY1), so parents can talk to trained professionals and get more information about their options for surrendering or how to get assistance to help them be able to care for their child.
The SHBB hotline is staffed by licensed counselors.
The Safe Haven Law allows mothers to safely surrender their infants, anonymously, up to 30 days old
Under the Safe Haven Law, parents have up to 30 days to change their mind once they surrender an infant.
For more information on Safe Haven Baby Boxes, click here.
