Citizens look to raise funds for Safe Haven Baby Box in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus residents are working to raise money for the installation of a Safe Haven Baby Box.
Local organizers say the baby box is a safe way for mothers in crisis to surrender their newborns at the local fire station anonymously.
So far, in the state of Mississippi, at least two infants have been surrendered at a Safe Haven Baby Box.
Local resident Earnestine Mobley had an idea to bring one of the boxes to Columbus to help mothers in crisis.
Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Duane Hughes sees the benefit a Safe Haven Baby Box could have in the community.
“In my career here at the fire department, there have been instances in the past where parents haven’t had an opportunity to surrender the child at a fire station, and they chose to use less-than-desirable means to surrender their child,” Hughes said. “It left the child vulnerable, and it was also very traumatic to those who encountered it. I believe, nationally, with the changes in reproductive laws, more than likely here in Columbus, we will soon see a need for our baby box.
Chief Duane Hughes said fire stations are already designated surrender points for infants of parents in crisis who don’t know where to turn.
“As it exists right now, without the baby box, that individual will have to make contact with the firefighter to surrender the child,” Hughes said. “And probably that interaction is going to make them less likely to surrender that child at the fire station.”
Hughes says once the box is closed, it locks from the outside, and an alarm will go off in the station to let firefighters know an infant has been surrendered.
There is also a signal transmitted to the local E-911 dispatch to let them know.
“The child is not left there for any length of time that’s going to bring harm to that child,” Mobley said.
“The child is kept in a climate-controlled environment, and that way, the firefighters, once they’re alerted, can get actual paramedics to the station to view and monitor the child, at which time, if it’s deemed to be in viable condition, the child is usually turned over to Department of Human Services,” Hughes said.
Hughes said for parents, the fire station can help them receive medical attention, counseling, or guide them to other services if they wish.
“Any person that’s in the situation where they’re looking to surrender a child is under enormous emotional stress,” Hughes said. “Anything that we can do as a community to come together to lighten that load and offer them solutions. This may be a temporary surrender. We don’t know. But what we do know is that this community cares about that parent. This community cares about that infant. And I believe that the Safe Haven Baby Box is an effort that we collectively can show that care.”
“You don’t want any woman to feel alone,” Mobley said. “It may not be you or your sister or your daughter today, but it could be them next week. So let’s always work on having options where women will have a safe place and a safe space to get help when they need it.”
The Safe Haven law in Mississippi allows for the surrender of an infant up to 45 days old.
Hughes said there will be training that goes along with getting the baby box, and more protocols will be developed.
The goal is to raise $16,000 to $20,000 for the box.
If you are a parent in crisis, you can call or text 1-866-99BABY1.
To learn more about donating, visit secure.qgiv.com.
