Tupelo to install 'baby box' at Fire Station No. 3
TUPELO — Tupelo will join two other cities in the state in partnering with an Indiana-based company to provide parents with a way to surrender children anonymously.
The Tupelo City Council this week voted unanimously to approve an agreement with Safe Haven Baby Box to install a “baby box” at Fire Station No. 3 alongside accepting a donation of up to $22,500 to fund the up-front costs of the project.
“I think it is a great idea. I just hope we never have to use it,” Council President and Ward 3 Councilman Travis Beard said.
A baby box is a small box with an accessible door that allows a parent to drop off their infant. Within the compartment is a medical grade bassinet, similar to those found in a maternity ward. Once opened, the box triggers a silent alarm that notifies 911 dispatch, the fire station and the ambulance system.
Mississippi is one of 17 states — most in the southern and central United States — that allows parents to surrender a child. According to state law, individuals have 45 days after a child is born to terminate parental rights.
The current law allows parents the option to surrender their child at designated safe havens, including fire departments. The box is there to facilitate the action and guarantee anonymity.
“It is not that we’re trying to condone giving a baby away; it is the fact that we are trying to stop the abuse and things like that from happening,” Fire Chief Brad Robinson said. “There is already a state law … You can surrender a baby at this point and walk away, no questions asked.”
While Robinson said there has not been an uptick in surrenders, there have been many issues with domestic violence of children. He said he hopes presenting this option to unready individuals will spare a child in the future.
“Hopefully, if we can save a child’s life in the future, then we won the game by getting ahead of it,” he said. “We have had several calls that had abused children that have died, and those are tough on my guys. … I had a 15-year guy almost quit because of a call.”
Installation and upfront cost for the box are $15,000, with an annual $500 fee with renewal agreements every five years. The approved donation will take the full breath of the costs. Individuals associated with the American Family Association, Hope Church, Tommy Morgan Realtors and Lawndale Presbyterian Church pooled resources and created a CREATE Foundation Special fund for the project.
Safe Haven itself has a crisis hotline number, (888) 742-2133, for individuals seeking help. While the bulk of the funding has already been raised, the CREATE special fund the group created will remain open to pay for the annual fees.
When installed, Tupelo will join Long Beach, Mississippi and Boonville as the third city to install a box in the state.
