SLIDELL, La. — The Central Fire Station in Olde Towne Slidell will soon be home to a community baby box.
It’s a secure, temperature-controlled device where parents in crisis can safely and anonymously surrender their newborns.
St. Tammany Fire District 1 Chief Chris Kauffmann says the box will be installed in front of the fire station.
“We hope we never have an infant put in this box,” Kauffmann said. “But if there’s that one mother that says I can’t do this, they have a location.”
In 2015, St. Tammany authorities discovered the body of a newborn baby in the dumpster of a Slidell apartment complex.
Slidell City Councilman Trey Brownfield said because of that death and others like it, it was important to launch a fundraising campaign for a baby box.
“You always see in the news, there’s a baby found on the side of the road, there’s a baby found here and there and it’s very disheartening when you hear those things. But in Slidell, there’s an alternative,” Brownfield said.
Louisiana’s Safe Haven Law allows parents to legally give up custody of a newborn, up to 60 days old, without fear of prosecution.
They have to bring the baby to an emergency designated facility such as a hospital, firehouse, or police station.
This year, that law was amended by state lawmakers to allow the use of devices such as a baby box at those locations.
“The baby, once you close the box, they can’t get access back to the baby, so the baby’s in a safe environment, it’s climate controlled, the baby’s safe until someone can get to the box and retrieve the baby,” Kauffmann said.
The device also features a silent alarm, letting rescuers know when a baby has been placed in the box.
There will be an orange resource bag inside the box with information for the parent such as where to get mental health counseling.
“This is an opportunity for you to safely let the baby live,” Brownfield said.
Organizers raised about 10 percent of the 22,000 dollars it will take to purchase the baby box in less than a week. They hope to install it by the end of the year.
For more information about the Community Baby Box or to make a donation, please contact Councilman Trey Brownfield at (985) 630-1104 or tbrownfield@cityofslidell.org.
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