HMH installing ‘Safe Haven Baby Box’ and ‘Food Blessing Boxes’ on campus

Last year, the Board of Directors of the Howard Memorial Hospital voted to install a Safe Haven Baby Box at a cost of $20,000.

During the February meeting of the hospital’s board, Administrative Director, Kim Turbeville reported The Safe Haven Baby Box has been ordered.

A Safe Haven Baby Box provides a mother in crisis a place to safely, securely and anonymously surrender her baby if she is unable to care for her newborn. Arkansas law states a parent can take a child who is 30-days or younger to an employee at any hospital emergency room, law enforcement agency, fire department that is staffed 24-hours a day or leave their infant in a Safe Haven Baby Box without facing prosecution.

The hospital’s Safe Haven Baby Box will be temperature controlled and programmed with several silent alarms to alert first responders. The alarm is triggered when the outside door is opened, and a baby is placed in the bassinet and the door is closed and automatically locked. Sensors will notify the staff who will retrieve the baby in a target time of less than five minutes.

In the state of Arkansas, the law states the child will receive medical attention if needed and then be placed into the custody of the Department of Human Services.

Turbeville also mentioned the hospital will install two Food Blessings Boxes on the HMH campus.

Food insecurity is defined by Feeding America as a “lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. According to Feeding America, one in six adults and one in five children are food insecure. HMH hopes to help alleviate some of the food insecurities in Howard County and the surrounding area.