SIKESTON, Mo. -- The upcoming fire station in Sikeston will include a Safe Haven Baby Box.Â
The box will provide a place for parents facing an emergency when it comes to taking care of a baby to drop off an infant. The temperature-controlled case will send an alert to officials if a baby is placed inside. Parents can access the spot 24/7.
“Right now, if a parent in crisis wanted to leave their newborn with one of our officers, they could do that, without fear of prosecution,� said Sikeston City Manager Jonathan Douglass. “This allows it to be a little bit more anonymous and hopefully encourages a parent in crisis to leave that baby in a safe space. If that happens, we will immediately transfer that baby to the Division of Social Services.�
The city approved the box at a City Council meeting on Monday. Designers plan to implement the space into the blueprints for the station.
The box will also alert 911 if a baby is put inside. Supporters believe an infant would sit inside for under five minutes.Â
Supporters of the box plan to fundraise the initial $11,000 to $15,000 needed to build the box. Then, Sikeston has committed to paying $500 to renew the unit every five years.Â
The only other box in Missouri at this time operates in St. Louis and opened less than a year ago.Â
More information on the boxes is available on the ·É±ð²ú²õ¾±³Ù±ð.Ìý
