The Starke County Commissioners continued discussions about a Safe Haven Baby Box during their meeting last week.
In a previous meeting, California Township Trustee Sheri Bartoli asked the commissioners to fund a Safe Haven Baby Box for Starke County. She added the nearest baby box is located in Plymouth and believes having one in Starke County would be a good asset. Bartoli explained a baby box is something where young mothers as a last resort would give up their babies instead of abandoning them. She stated a baby box is usually placed at hospitals or fire stations where an alarm is triggered, notifying 911 once the box has been closed.
In that same meeting, the commissioners discussed briefly on who would be liable for the baby once they have been placed in the box. They stated they would need to look into more information on who is liable for the child once they are placed in the baby box.
During their meeting last week, Bartoli stated after further research she found out the liability of the child resides with Safe Haven once the box is closed. She added the box must be within one mile of a hospital.
The commissioners discussed several locations where a baby box could be placed. They also discussed potential grants the county could apply for. The commissioners decided more research will need to be done and made a motion to table the approval of the Safe Haven Baby Box upon further review. That motion was seconded and passed unanimously by vote. It is expected the commissioners will discuss their option at a future meeting.
