Indiana one step closer to getting Safe Haven baby boxes
Posted: Apr 8, 2015 10:01 AM EST | Updated: Apr 8, 2015 10:31 AM EST
Indiana is one step closer to using Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
The bill passed through the Senate with amendments on Tuesday so now the bill is headed back to the House for another vote.
The biggest discussion among lawmakers right now is the safety, sanitation, and how these baby boxes will be funded.
If this bill is passed, Indiana would be the first state to use Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
It would allow mothers of unwanted babies to drop them off at "qualified service providers" which are places like hospitals, police stations, or fire departments.
These drop off locations are already specified by the Safe Haven Law but the boxes could add another layer of anonymity because the mothers do not have to leave the baby with a person.
The boxes have a sensor in them that goes off and alerts emergency officials once a baby is placed inside. The box is locked and only an official can unlock it.
The baby has to be a newborn, which means less than 30 days old.
If passed, beginning July 2016 mothers can drop of their unwanted babies at Safe Haven Baby Box locations.
The bill passed through the Senate with amendments on Tuesday so now the bill is headed back to the House for another vote.
The biggest discussion among lawmakers right now is the safety, sanitation, and how these baby boxes will be funded.
If this bill is passed, Indiana would be the first state to use Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
It would allow mothers of unwanted babies to drop them off at "qualified service providers" which are places like hospitals, police stations, or fire departments.
These drop off locations are already specified by the Safe Haven Law but the boxes could add another layer of anonymity because the mothers do not have to leave the baby with a person.
The boxes have a sensor in them that goes off and alerts emergency officials once a baby is placed inside. The box is locked and only an official can unlock it.
The baby has to be a newborn, which means less than 30 days old.
If passed, beginning July 2016 mothers can drop of their unwanted babies at Safe Haven Baby Box locations.