First Safe Haven Baby Surrendered at Tennessee’s First “Baby Box”
Image Credit: shbb.org
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
Tennessee’s first Safe Haven Baby Box, installed in February of this year, was actually used over the weekend for the very first time.
According to the Knoxville Fire Department, this “Baby Box Alert” came through just after 12am on Saturday morning at Station 17 where three crew members responded and found a baby boy had been left for them to find in the Baby Box.
The baby boy was healthy and not injured when the crew members found him. An ambulance arrived quickly and transported the baby to the hospital for evaluation.
While this little one was the first baby to be placed in Knoxville’s baby box, he is by no means the first baby to be safely surrendered and protected under Tennessee’s Safe Haven Law.
Since July of 2001, the lives of over 100 babies have been protected because they were safely surrendered to Safe Haven facilities across the state.
The Safe Haven Law allowed mothers of newborns to surrender newborn babies without fear of being prosecuted, so long as the babies were unharmed and surrendered within 72 hours after birth.
The law also assured these distressed parents that they would have complete confidentiality and was most recently revised in June of 2020 to allow 14 days for mothers to safely surrender their newborns, instead of 72 hours.
Even though there are over 1,000 Safe Haven locations across the state, the Safe Haven Baby Box in Knoxville installed on February 17th, is the first such option in Tennessee to guarantee parent anonymity.
Instructions for usage of the resource are posted above the Baby Box. All a parent needs to do is open the door of the box, place the baby inside the bassinet, and close the door which automatically locks on the outside. Firefighters at the station are immediately alerted and according to spokesperson Mark Wilbanks, will respond within minutes.
Other Safe Haven locations include:
• Hospitals
• Birthing Centers
• Community Health Clinics (Health Departments)
• Outpatient, Walk-In Clinics
• Emergency Medical Service Facilities (EMS)
• Fire Stations (only those staffed 24 hours)
• Police Stations (only those staffed 24 hours)
Babies do not have to be surrendered in the parent’s county of residence but must only be surrendered at facilities where personnel are present since not every facility is open 24/7. Safe Haven Babies are cared for by facility workers until the Department of Children’s Services arrives.
The Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee also has a confidential hotline for parents in crisis situations. Simply dial 1-866-699-SAFE.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
