Thursday, May 4, 2017

Baby Box Bill Signed into Law by Governor Holcomb




from Monica Kelsey
Safe Haven Baby Boxes 

Yesterday, Senate Bill 246 was signed into law by Governor Holcomb protecting the two-existing Safe Haven Baby Boxes placed in Indiana in 2016 and paves the way for additional baby boxes at hospitals throughout the state. Senator Travis Holdman concurred with the changes that the Indiana House made and the vote ended with a 47-3 victory in the Senate.

Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey states “We are so thankful for Senator Travis Holdman, Representative Martin Carbaugh and Representative Dave Heine for their hard work in getting this legislation through the House and Senate. Many babies will have a birthday because of their hard work”.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes has been actively promoting and educating the community about the existing Safe Haven Laws from the very beginning of its existence. Knowing that the existing Safe Haven Laws were the only tool we had at our disposal until April of 2016, we spent hundreds of hours of volunteer time and our own resources to produce literature that promoted these laws. We implemented an extensive social media presence, and have answered hundreds of messages on both Facebook and Twitter. We also answer every email that comes in on the website www.safehavenbabyboxes.com.

Over the past year, we have had six safe surrenders that can be attributed directly to these efforts. Four of the safe surrenders of newborns were out of state, and two took place in Indiana. These effort can be directly contributed to the hard work from our volunteers at Safe Haven Baby Boxes and the hotline that is answered 24 hours a day.

We know that education and awareness around the Safe Haven Laws and the Safe Haven Baby Boxes are saving lives. Having a 24-hour hotline (1-866-99BABY1) gives women in crisis the opportunity to reach out for help and get the information they need to make a lifesaving choice for their baby, and to prevent them from making a decision that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Safe Haven Laws are simply words on paper if those who need to utilize these laws do not know they exist. Education and help in the midst of crisis give FEET to the Safe Haven Laws in our country.

For further information, contact Safe Haven Baby Boxes at Monica@SafeHavenBabyBoxes.com.


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