City Council committee looks at Safe Haven Box proposal

CHILLICOTHE − The Safety Services Committee of the Chillicothe City Council recently held a committee meeting to discuss the possibility of adding Safe Haven Baby Boxes to the city.

These boxes are places where parents can anonymously surrender their babies. These boxes are attached to buildings with an opening on the outside of the building for the parent to open and place the baby safely in. Responders will then get an alarm alerting them a baby is placed in the box, they can then retrieve the baby from the inside door of the box.

Locations to safely surrender a child have existed for many years all around the world so the idea of these boxes is not new. The Safe Haven Baby Boxes company installed its first box in 2016 and currently has six locations in Ohio. This company also offers a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis and states on its website that the boxes are a "last resort option" for mothers.

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The Ohio Safe Haven laws allow for a new parent to surrender a baby under 30 days old. These children must be given to a medical worker in a hospital or fire department or to law enforcement. If left with the correct people during this time having not been abused the parents will not face legal consequences for abandonment.

In the proposal sent by council member Allison Henderson to the council president, two locations are mentioned for the box. These locations are the law enforcement complex and the Main Street fire station. In her proposal, she said this is a resource she believes should be provided to the community.

"I think it would be a fantastic thing to have in this community," said Henderson.

During a meeting of the Safety Services Committee on Aug. 7 the boxes were discussed including what they were, where they would go and how much they cost. Whatever building the box is installed on would have to have someone inside 24 hours a day. It was also brought up that some churches and businesses may want to help sponsor these boxes to help reduce the cost for the city.

By the end of this topic, it was decided that the Safety Services Committee will have another meeting about the boxes at a later date once prices are determined and possible sponsorships are discussed.

Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Could Chillicothe be getting Safe Haven Baby Boxes?