‘We’re making history.’ First Safe Haven Baby Box in Idaho comes to Blackfoot

BLACKFOOT — History was made successful Idaho this week arsenic nan authorities received its first babe box. It’s located successful Blackfoot. 

Attached to Grove Creek Medical Center, located astatine 350 North Meridian Street, is simply a motion that reads, “Safe Haven Baby Box Drop Off.” It’s a designated location wherever parents tin anonymously and safely time off an babe they are incapable to attraction for. 

Watch really nan babe container useful successful nan video below. 

“For astir of us, giving commencement to a babe is simply a joyous occasion. But arsenic we cognize — arsenic labour and transportation nurses — location are times wherever this is agonizing and unbearably sad. And those are nan women we’re trying to service pinch this Safe Haven Baby Box,” said Patty Killian, nan head of nursing astatine Grove Creek Medical Center. 

The babe container was blessed by a section clergywoman connected Tuesday. It’s nan 245th container successful nan United States. It comes from an statement called Safe Haven Baby Boxes. Click here to study more. 

“This container is now disposable for women successful this organization and beyond. This container offers nary shame, nary blasted and nary names,” said Monica Kelsey, laminitis of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. 

Kelsey, from Indiana, said Idaho is nan 19th authorities to person a Safe Haven Baby Box. 

She talked to a crowd of complete 100 group astatine nan blessing arena successful Blackfoot astir really she became an advocate. Kelsey told a existent communicative that happened successful August 1972 astir a young 17-year-old woman who was brutally attacked, raped and near on nan broadside of nan road. 

Monica Kelsey, nan laminitis of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. | Andrea Olson, EastIdahoNews.com

She said nan woman was beardown capable to property charges against nan man who had raped her. 

“When her life was yet getting backmost to normal, she recovered retired she was pregnant and she was hidden for nan remainder of nan pregnancy. She gave commencement successful April of 1973 and abandoned her kid 2 hours aft that kid was born,” Kelsey said. “And that kid was me.”

She said she now stands astatine nan frontlines of this movement.

“This is my bequest and I americium their voice. I will everlastingly locomotion alongside these mothers who take thing safe. And I will everlastingly locomotion alongside these kids who turn up knowing their worthy and their purpose,” Kelsey said. 

She added location is simply a 24-hour situation hotline that tin beryllium called aliases texted, which is 1-866-99BABY1.

Since 2017, 50 infants person been safely and legally surrendered successful a babe box. The National Safe Haven Crisis statement has assisted pinch complete 150 handoff surrenders, the website said. 

According to Killian, nan box’s first costs was $12,000. She said nan Bingham Healthcare Foundation agreed to salary for it and received a assistance done edifice franchise KFC. 

“Our dream is that it will go a resource,” Killian said.

Hailey Dahle, a bereavement coordinator astatine Grove Creek Medical Center, came up pinch nan thought to get nan babe box. She described really bringing it to nan organization has been a journey. It’s besides raised consciousness astir nan Safe Haven Act. 

“Our contiguous interest was nan truth that Idaho rule does not see verbiage successful our Safe Haven Act, allowing for surrender successful a instrumentality for illustration nan Safe Haven Baby Box,” Dahle said. 

A batch of important group came together to make changes and get nan box. One of those group was Idaho Sen. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, who began nan process of amending nan Safe Haven authorities to licence anonymous surrender via newborn information devices successful Idaho, a news merchandise said. 

The amendment to nan existing Safe Haven Baby Act was passed unanimously successful March. Gov. Brad Little signed it, and it went into effect connected July 1. 

“Today, we’re making history successful Idaho. We are giving women an action that has ne'er been done earlier successful this state. We are giving women 100% anonymity if they truthful choose, that they cannot locomotion into a installation and manus their kid to a person,” Kelsey said. 

Dahle and Killian expressed their gratitude that nan metropolis was capable to person one. 

“We conscionable want to widen compassion to moms successful these situations. We cognize that each communicative is different and honestly being a mom today, looks different for everyone successful this world and possibly for some, their action would beryllium to person to surrender their baby,” Dahle said. 

Surrendered infants are adopted by families who person registered arsenic foster to adopt.