LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new Safe Haven Baby Box is coming to Tennessee, for a total of seven throughout the state.
It will be located in Lawrenceburg at Fire Department Station 1 — 233 West Gaines Street.
A blessing of the box will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, with the Safe Haven Baby Boxes Founder Monica Kelsey and several other Lawrence County officials.
What is the Safe Haven Baby Box?
The state got their first baby box in Knoxville in 2023.
The Safe Haven Law in Tennessee allows parents of newborns to drop of babies at places like health centers or fire departments with no charges filed or questions asked. They can drop them off in the baby box anonymously.
How does it work?
Our Carrie Sharp was in Hendersonville for the sixth baby box celebration in April.
She learned from Founder Monice Kelsey that once the door is opened, the fire department gets a notification via a silent alarm. When a baby is placed inside the ventilated and temperature-controlled box, there's a second notification. A third silent alarm is triggered when the person shuts the door, which immediately locks.
Founder Monica Kelsey reiterated: this is about no blame — no shame — and no name.
If you are a parent in crisis, call or text 1-866-99-BABY1 (1-866-992-2291).
With new technology comes new ways to help people. This story shows a great use of AI that is starting to be rolled out in Tennessee. This one can help those who may be blind, deaf or neurodiverse navigate the Tennessee State Library and Archives from an app on their smart phone.
-Lelan Statom
