Franciscan Health Indianapolis Blesses Newly Installed Safe Haven Baby Box
Franciscan Health held a blessing and dedication on Thursday, June 6 for the Safe Haven Baby Box which was recently installed at its Indianapolis campus. The device allows mothers in crisis to safely and anonymously surrender their infant to hospital staff.
The blessing and dedication, held outside of the Center for Women and Children at the Indianapolis hospital campus, was led by Father Vincent Onunkwo. Construction Management firm, Tonn and Blank, installed the Safe Haven Baby Box.
“We are honored to introduce the Safe Haven Baby Box to Franciscan Health Indianapolis,” said Melanie Boosey, manager of labor and delivery at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. “This is a vital resource for mothers in crisis. By providing an anonymous and safe way for parents to surrender their child, we hope to reduce infant abandonment deaths. Our commitment to the Franciscan values of respect for life and compassionate concern have driven this initiative.”
The Safe Haven Baby Box will be available to new mothers who wish to utilize Indiana’s Safe Haven Law, which enables a person to surrender an infant anonymously without fear of arrest or prosecution. The use of the Safe Haven Baby Box is a last resort for women who want to maintain complete anonymity.
The Safe Haven Baby Box at Franciscan Health Indianapolis is discreetly located outside the Center for Women and Children, Entrance Door #2 at 8111 South Emerson Ave. The box is heated and air-conditioned with its own ventilation. When the box is used, a silent alarm will sound so that staff can immediately tend to the baby.
The Safe Haven Baby Box was made possible by the generosity of Carney and Nanci Likens from Indianapolis, who wanted to pay it forward for all the help they have received from the team at Franciscan Health over the years.
Monica Kelsey, founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Box, Inc. was inspired to create the organization because of her own life experience. Kelsey’s biological mother became pregnant after a rape and, after her birth, abandoned her at a hospital. She was adopted and says today her parents are her biggest supporters.
“We are grateful that Franciscan Health Indianapolis has prioritized our mission,” said Kelsey. “Offering mothers in crisis anonymity is crucial to our mission. We are giving these infants a better chance and their mothers a second chance when we are prepared.”
Safe Haven Baby Box, Inc. works to educate the public on the Safe Haven Law and introduce the use of the baby boxes.
There are currently over 200 active Safe Haven Baby Boxes in nearly 20 states across the country. Indiana, which now has 126 boxes, has not had a death by illegal abandonment since the first box was made available in April of 2016.
More information on the Franciscan Health Center for Women & Children can be found online.
For more information on Safe Haven Baby Box, Inc., visit www.shbb.org.