HAMMOND — One of Indiana's Safe Haven Baby Boxes is now closed, but the organization says there are several others nearby.
Franciscan Health Hammond announced that the Safe Haven Baby box located at 5454 Hohman Ave closed on Dec.30. This is following the announced closing of its emergency room.
Franciscan Alliance is grateful for the Court of Appeals order. As such, Franciscan will proceed with ceasing operations and closing the emergency department as of Dec. 31, 2022. As most ambulances have already stopped bringing patients to Franciscan Health Hammond, we do not expect that closing the Emergency Department will cause disruption in emergency medical care for residents. As we pointed out to the Court of Appeals, many Hammond neighborhoods are closer to other hospitals within the region than they were to Franciscan Health Hammond.
We believe this decision prioritizes patient safety, which has been our primary concern throughout the legal proceedings.
Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, says they haven't been successful yet in finding a new location, but it will be relocated.
"The intention of the Safe Haven Baby Box is to permit the legal anonymous surrender of an infant that the mother in crisis is unable to raise. It protects the mother’s identity and provides a safe place for the baby to ensure abandonment isn’t chosen as the alternative," said Kelsey.
Kelsey and her team want people to know that other Baby Boxes are available at other locations.
● Portage Fire Station #2- 6275 Old Porter Rd, Portage, IN 46368
● St. Catherine Hospital- South Entrance, 4321 Fir St, East Chicago, IN 46312
● Schererville Fire Station #2- 280 Plum Creek Dr, Schererville, IN 46375
● Merrillville Fire Station #71- 18 W 73rd Ave, Merrillville, IN 46410
● Gary Fire Station #5- 4959 Pennsylvania St, Gary, IN 46409
● Hobart Fire Station #2- 2301-2411 W Old Ridge Rd, Gary, IN 46408
● Lake Station Fire #1- 1876 Fairview Ave, Lake Station, IN 46405
Since 2017, twenty-two infants have been placed in a Baby Box, with 8 surrenders in 2022 alone, Kelsey said.
Safe Haven boxes are currently available in Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, and North Carolina.
For more information, please contact Monica at monicakelsey@safehavenbabyboxes.com or call 888-742-2133.
