A group of local volunteer advocates seeking funding for the installation of a pair of Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Wheeling officially kicked off its fundraising campaign on Tuesday with a $16,000 gift from WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.
According to Ciarra Beaver, who is leading the project, a goal of $40,000 has been set to cover the cost of installing two baby boxes and a media campaign to raise awareness and educate the public about the use of the boxes and West Virginia’s Safe Haven law.
“We are beyond thrilled with this generous and substantial donation from WVU Medicine,” Beaver said. “Their gift will cover half of what we need to install the boxes and help give women in crisis an anonymous option to safely surrender a newborn, while avoiding unsafe and illegal infant abandonment.”
A baby box is a safety device provided under the state’s Safe Haven law that legally permits a mother in a crisis situation to surrender a child up to 30 days old safely, securely, and anonymously in a specially designed box installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. Accessible from the outside and inside, the box is climate-controlled and has a sensor that triggers an alarm which alerts medical staff to retrieve the baby.
The West Virginia Legislature passed a bill earlier this year updating the current Safe Haven law authorizing the installation and use of anonymous baby boxes at designated safe haven surrender sites.
“West Virginia’s Safe Haven Law already allows children less than 30 days old to be turned over to a hospital, health facility or continuously staffed fire department,” said WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital CEO Douglass Harrison. “But with the recent change to the law allowing for the anonymous use of baby boxes, mothers in crisis can now more freely make that choice by avoiding the shame and embarrassment they might feel when doing so. We’re very pleased to help make the boxes a reality here in Wheeling.”
When completed the baby boxes will be located at the new Wheeling Fire Department headquarters in East Wheeling and at the Wheeling Island station. Expenses associated with the ongoing staff training and maintenance needed to keep the boxes operational will be provided by the city.
“The City of Wheeling and the Wheeling Fire Department are happy to be a part of this worthwhile community initiative,” said Wheeling Fire Chief Jim Blazier. “And we’re committed to providing the resources necessary each year for training, maintenance, and re-certification of the boxes. It’s a minimal investment with a very big payoff.”
The first box is expected to be dedicated in the spring of next year.
For more information or to donate, contact Ciarra Beaver at 304-659-9871 or go to SafeBabiesOV.com.
