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| Safe Haven Baby Boxes was set up 15 years ago by Monica Kelsey, who was abandoned as an infant: Simply Snowflake Photography & Design |
Two Safe Haven Baby Boxes are the first of 100 to be installed in Indiana, allowing parents to drop off their infants anonymously
An American state has launched new drop boxes where mothers can leave their unwanted babies.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes have been installed in Indiana as part of America's Safe Haven Law, which allows parents to surrender newborns without fear of being prosecuted.
The boxes, which cost between £1,000 and £1,400 each, are the first of 100 planned across the north eastern state.
The first two have been placed at The Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department near Ohio and in Michigan City.
In Indiana, fire stations, police stations and hospitals already take in unwanted babies under the Safe Haven rule, but authorities say some women are put off as they want to remain anonymous.
The boxes are padded and include climate control as well as a security system that alerts nearby emergency services when a baby is placed in one.
The boxes are padded and include climate control as well as a security system that alerts nearby emergency services when a baby is placed in one.
One of the boxes at the Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department building in Indiana - Simply Snowflake Photography & Design
Safe Haven Baby Boxes was set up 15 years ago by Monica Kelsey, who was abandoned as an infant and made it her personal mission to educate others on how to stop babies from being abandoned.
Since then 3,153 babies have been taken in through the scheme, but 1,427 have also been illegally dumped in the country within the same period.
It is illegal to abandon a baby in the UK, but a petition has been set up to introduce the law as around 50 babies are abandoned each year.
The petition to the Government currently has 391 signatures, but will need at least 10,000 for a response and 100,000 for it to be considered for debate in Parliament.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes was set up 15 years ago by Monica Kelsey, who was abandoned as an infant and made it her personal mission to educate others on how to stop babies from being abandoned.
Since then 3,153 babies have been taken in through the scheme, but 1,427 have also been illegally dumped in the country within the same period.
It is illegal to abandon a baby in the UK, but a petition has been set up to introduce the law as around 50 babies are abandoned each year.
The petition to the Government currently has 391 signatures, but will need at least 10,000 for a response and 100,000 for it to be considered for debate in Parliament.
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