Chillicothe — A safe, secure, and anonymous way to surrender a baby should be available at Fire Station No. 1 soon. Council heard the first reading of a resolution to support donations to install a “Safe Haven Baby Box” there.
Council member Julie Preston said her proposed legislation should go all three readings in the November 24th, 2025 council session – but the box should be installed around the end of the year.
Preston said a small group is working hard to get funding from Community Resources to pay for the installation at the fire station at 45 East Water Street. No city funds will be used, and it will be the only baby box in Ross County.
She said fire stations are ideal locations since they are usually staffed 24 hours a day and include medical personnel.
Preston said this is long overdue…and agreed that it will be a safer version of the scene at the cathedral steps in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
Photos of the outside and inside of an installed Safe Haven Baby Box, from the company’s Facebook page.
From the website of the Ohio Company:
“Since 2016, Safe Haven Baby Boxes have provided a discreet and secure option for parents to surrender their newborns.
“Designed with innovative safety features and installed on the exterior walls of fire stations and hospitals, each box ensures the safe and anonymous surrender of infants.
“The exterior door locks automatically when a newborn is placed inside, and an interior door allows medical personnel to promptly and securely retrieve the baby, ensuring immediate care and protection.
“Safe Haven Baby Boxes’ mission is to prevent illegal abandonment of newborns by raising awareness, offering a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis and offering the Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a last resort option for women who want to maintain complete anonymity.”
