1st newborn surrendered to Florida Safe Haven Baby Box - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando

OCALA, Fla. – A newborn was surrendered to Florida’s archetypal and lone Safe Haven Baby Box, marking the archetypal clip it has been used.

The babe container is located astatine Ocala’s Fire Rescue headquarters. Safe Haven Baby Boxes laminitis and CEO Monica Kelsey, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn and Ocala Fire Chief Clint Welborn discussed the surrendered babe during a quality league Thursday morning.

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Ocala’s determination is the lone 1 successful Florida, and it is 1 of 134 boxes successful the U.S. When it was installed successful December 2020, it marked the archetypal Safe Haven Baby Box successful Florida.

Welborn and Guinn said during the league that the assets helps to prevention lives.

“I’m truthful blessed to perceive of this occurrence baby,” Guinn said. “I knew erstwhile we did this successful 2020, this time would come. We each did. We conscionable didn’t cognize when. We’re gladsome it was determination arsenic a assets for the parent of this child. I’m definite determination volition beryllium a agleam aboriginal up for this precious child.”

The Safe Haven Baby Box costs $10,000 and is leased for $200 a month. Thus far, 23 infants person been placed successful a Baby Box since November 2017, according to Safe Haven.

Kelsey came up with the thought for Safe Haven Baby Boxes due to the fact that officials were inactive uncovering dead, abandoned babies contempt states having a Safe Haven law, allowing mothers to surrender newborns to hospitals and occurrence stations.

“My biologic begetter is simply a rapist and I was abandoned astatine commencement and my beingness inactive has value. I privation that today, my commencement ma would person had those resources each those years ago,” Kelsey said.

The boxes person a heater, cooling portion and are alarm activated, according to Kelsey. The soundless alarm volition alert firefighters determination is simply a babe successful the container 60 seconds aft the newborn is placed successful it.

“Sixty seconds is capable clip for ma to get away,” Kelsey said.

Once the babe is inside, the outer doorway locks and lone information oregon aesculapian unit tin entree it. Afterward, the newborn is attended to wrong 5 minutes, medically evaluated astatine a section infirmary and adopted wrong 30-45 days, Safe Haven officials said.

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