Baby Box Research Paper

Indiana became the first state in US to install "baby boxes" under the purview of "Safe Haven" laws where mothers can surrender their babies under government care without revealing their identities.

Safe haven laws or "Baby Moses" laws allow abandonment of babies at places sanctioned by government, and are implemented all around the country. Parents are not questioned about their decision at the safe haven locations at fire stations, hospitals, and police stations. However, many parents avoid disclosing their identity and even stay away from the safe haven locations.

In September last year, a baby was found wrapped in several layers of coats outside a church in Indiana near a Safe Haven location.

To prevent such abandonments, two "Safe Haven
The doors are automatically locked once the door is shut after putting the baby inside. Fire and medical personnel are alerted to retrieve the baby within minutes, and then take him or her to a hospital for medical evaluation. The child is then handed over to the state's Child Protection Services.

"Anything we can do to make that specific situation better," Wes Rogers, captain at the Cool Spring Fire Department told Indystar. "We try to do it every day with running our calls, fighting fires and helping sick people. This is just another way to help."

The proposal of "baby box" installation at public facilities was approved by the state government under the provisions of existing safe-haven laws.

The laws were first introduced in Texas in 1999 when bodies of about 10 babies were found in city trash cans. The legislation was later adopted in other 50 states as well.

The baby-box arrangement was common in the middle ages, and was reintroduced in the modern era in 1952 in Pakistan. Since 2000, many countries have installed baby boxes, and it is relatively common in Europe, most notably in Germany which has about 100 baby hatches. Pakistan has installed over 300 baby boxes.

In Germany, a need was felt for the 'babywieges' (baby cradles) in 1999, when frozen bodies of abandoned babies were
In 1972, Kelsey was abandoned by her 17-year-old mother who was raped and then left to die, according to her autobiography. Her mother had considered an abortion at an underground clinic because abortion was illegal at the time. At the clinic, she had a change of heart and did not terminate the pregnancy. After Kelsey was born, she left her at a hospital.

The provision of baby boxes was opposed by Indiana Department of Health on the grounds that they might incur high costs of installation and 24/7 monitoring. The department also expressed concern about the safety of such boxes in extreme weather conditions and power outages. The health officials instead recommended increasing awareness about current Safe Haven facilities.

Kelsey has founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc., and said that she had intended to fund the boxes privately, and was not seeking state grants. She had asked the health department 18 months to standardize and improve the incubators.

"We have listened to all the concerns and listened to all the criticisms, and it's helped us improve the box," she said. "We've never lost focus on our goal. It's to save these babies that are