Skip to content
NOWCAST WLWT News 5 at 11:00
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Baby girl dropped off in Safe Haven Baby Box at Lebanon fire station

Baby girl dropped off in Safe Haven Baby Box at Lebanon fire station
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      REALLY SETTLE IN HERE. COMING UP, STEPHEN. ALISON. THANK YOU. DEVELOPING HERE AT NOON. A BABY GIRL IS DOING WELL AFTER SOMEONE SURRENDERED HER AND A BABY BOX AT THE LEBANON FIRE STATION. THE SAFE HAVEN SYSTEM LETS PEOPLE SAFELY AND ANONYMOUSLY DROP OFF BABIES WITHIN THEIR FIRST MONTH OF LIFE. AND WLWT. NEWS FIVE’S BRIAN HAMRICK LIVE FOR US IN LEBANON TO SHOW US HOW THIS PROCESS WORKED TO SAVE A LIFE. BRIAN. YEAH, WELL, KELLY, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME ONE OF THESE SAFE HAVEN BABY BOXES WAS USED IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF OHIO. NOW THEY’RE HERE ALL THE TIME. THIS ONE HERE IN LEBANON. HERE ALL THE TIME. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW IF SOMEONE’S GOING TO USE ONE OF THEM. BUT YESTERDAY, JUST BEFORE 330 IN THE AFTERNOON, THE ALARM WENT OFF HERE IN LEBANON AT FIRE STATION NUMBER 41, POLICE AND FIRE RESPONDED. THEY FOUND A BABY GIRL IN THE BOX. A BABY WAS IMMEDIATELY TRANSPORTED TO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. WARREN COUNTY CHILDREN’S SERVICES WAS NOTIFIED. NOW THIS IS A SAFE HAVEN BABY BOX. THE BABY CAN BE LEFT ANONYMOUSLY, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. NO WORD ON HOW OLD THE BABY IS, BUT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT IT’S UNDER 30 DAYS. THE BABY NOW GOES INTO A FOSTER TO ADOPT PROGRAM, SO THE SAFE HAVEN SAFE HAVEN BABY BOXES HAVE TO BE IN A FACILITY WHERE THEY ARE MANNED 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND AROUND THE CLOCK. AND THAT’S WHY IN PLACES LIKE THIS, FIRE STATION HERE IN LEBANON, REPORTING LIVE, BRIAN HAMRICK, WLWT NEWS FIVE. YEAH. BRIAN. SO THE BABY WAS TRANSPORTED TO CHILDREN’S. ANY INDICATION OF ANY HEALTH ISSUES OR. SO FAR, SO GOOD. I THINK THAT’S MORE OF AN INDICATION THAT THE PROTOCOL OF WHAT THEY DO IS THEY TAKE IT. THEY TAKE IT TO THE BABY TO CHILDREN’S, WHERE IT CAN BE CHECKED OUT TO DETERMINE IF THERE ARE ANY HEALTH ISSUES. BUT JUST TAKING THE BABY THERE IN AND OF ITSELF DOESN’T INDICATE ANY KIND OF A HEALTH PROBLEM. AND IT’S ALSO WHERE THEY CAN START THE WHEELS TURNING FOR SOME OF THESE SERVICES THAT THE ADOPTION SERVICES KELLY. ABSOLUTELY. YES. UNDERSTANDABLE. THE BABY WOULD NEE
      Advertisement
      Baby girl dropped off in Safe Haven Baby Box at Lebanon fire station
      The Lebanon Division of Police said it responded Monday after an infant girl was placed in the Safe Haven Baby Box.The box, which is located at Fire Station 41, helps mothers surrender their babies safely and anonymously, with no questions asked.According to the founder of the company, the girl was the first baby to be dropped off in a Safe Haven Baby Box in Ohio.Police said crews responded after hearing the alarm and located the girl inside the Safe Haven Baby Box.The infant was transported by the Lebanon Fire Department to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, in accordance with protocol of the system. The Safe Haven Baby Box has three alarms — one on the door, one in the box and one in the case to prevent any alert failures. Ohio state law requires the boxes to be monitored at all times. It opened in 2023.The founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, Monica Kelsey, said as long as the child is unharmed and is 30 days or younger, the parent who dropped off the child cannot be prosecuted. Kelsey also shared a message with WLWT, saying "I want to tell this mother thank you. Thank you for keeping your child safe and thank you for trusting the Lebanon Fire Department and Safe Haven Baby Boxes to take it from here."After the infant is evaluated at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, she will be placed in a foster to adopt program, which is different than foster care. Kelsey said babies placed in the program are typically adopted quickly.

      The Lebanon Division of Police said it responded Monday after an infant girl was placed in the Safe Haven Baby Box.

      The box, which is located at Fire Station 41, helps mothers surrender their babies safely and anonymously, with no questions asked.

      Advertisement

      According to the founder of the company, the girl was the first baby to be dropped off in a Safe Haven Baby Box in Ohio.

      This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

      Police said crews responded after hearing the alarm and located the girl inside the Safe Haven Baby Box.

      The infant was transported by the Lebanon Fire Department to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, in accordance with protocol of the system.

      The Safe Haven Baby Box has three alarms — one on the door, one in the box and one in the case to prevent any alert failures. Ohio state law requires the boxes to be monitored at all times. It opened in 2023.

      The founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, Monica Kelsey, said as long as the child is unharmed and is 30 days or younger, the parent who dropped off the child cannot be prosecuted.

      Kelsey also shared a message with WLWT, saying "I want to tell this mother thank you. Thank you for keeping your child safe and thank you for trusting the Lebanon Fire Department and Safe Haven Baby Boxes to take it from here."

      After the infant is evaluated at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, she will be placed in a foster to adopt program, which is different than foster care. Kelsey said babies placed in the program are typically adopted quickly.