SAFE HAVEN BABY BOX ALLOWS ANONYMOUS SURRENDER OF INFANTS A new Safe Haven Baby Box near the entrance to Covington County Hospital’s 24-hour Emergency Room can provide happy endings for tragic stories of parents who can’t care for their infants. “It’s heartbreaking to see newborn babies left on the curb outside of our hospital,” said Gregg Gibbes, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer. “Now they can be placed in the Safe Haven Baby Box. Safe, Secure “Our priority is to provide a safe and secure environment for these precious little ones.” CCH held a dedication and blessing ceremony for the box in May. The Covington County Republican Women led the effort to raise $20,000 for installation and maintenance. “We wanted to give an alternative to women who are in crisis and who are just not ready for motherhood,” said Dianne Pickering, Vice President of the women’s group. The box is climate-controlled at 74 degrees, said Caitlin Kelly, the Mississippi representative for the Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization. She said a silent alarm sounds inside the hospital when the box is opened. Laying a baby inside the medical-grade bassinet triggers a second alarm. Child Protection Services Hospital staff care for the baby until the state Department of Child Protection Services can take custody. Mississippi law allows the anonymous surrender of an infant up to 45 days old without fear of prosecution. Simpson General Hospital in Mendenhall also has a Safe Haven Baby Box. Said Lynn Scott, RN, the CCH Chief Compliance and Patient Care Officer, “Our number one goal is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the infant.” Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc. promotes installation of boxes for safe, anonymous surrender of an infant and offers a 24-hour toll-free voice or text hotline for helping parents in crisis: 866.99BABY1 (866.992.2291) LEARN MORE CovingtonCares 11
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