On Wednesday, Governor Evers signed a bill that expands the state’s current safe haven law that allows parents to anonymously relinquish their newborn up to seventy-two hours old directly to hospital, law enforcement, or EMT personnel. The new law allows a hospital, law enforcement, or fire stations to install a baby box that will allow parents to relinquish these infants safely without interaction with another person. The law requires safety features to protect a newborn for the short time he or she is in the baby box.
We are pleased the Governor has signed this life-saving bill that makes it easier for a scared parent to safely and anonymously relinquish a newborn baby. Indiana led the way on this idea and has seen numerous infants avoid tragic deaths from abandonment because of the baby boxes. Hopefully, many hospitals, law enforcement facilities, and fire stations will install the boxes.
