VINCENNES, Ind. – Indiana’s Safe Haven law was at the forefront of a Vincennes Board of Works meeting Monday as they approved a contract to bring a baby box to the community.
A Safe Haven Baby Box, typically installed in an exterior wall of a fire department or hospital, provides a legal option for parents in crisis to safely and anonymously surrender a newborn.
According to the contract, the baby box will cost around $15,000, including a $10,000 initial fee and approximately $5,000 in additional fees. There will also be a $200 annual fee for each year the county had the baby box. Public officials said funding will come from private donors as well as the Knights of Columbus.
Six infants have been surrendered to baby boxes throughout the state in the past two years. The most recent surrender was last week in New Haven.
