WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (OnFocus) – A local partnership in Wisconsin Rapids is working to raise funds for the installation of the region’s first Safe Haven Baby Box. The project is led by the Safe Haven Baby Box Company, St. Peter and Paul Church, and the City of Wisconsin Rapids. Their shared goal is to create a secure option for parents in crisis who need a legal and anonymous way to surrender a newborn.
Organizers are seeking $30,000 to purchase and install the device at one of the city’s fire stations and to support future maintenance and inspection costs. Supporters of the effort state that the device could prevent unsafe abandonment and provide urgent protection for infants who need immediate medical attention.
A Safe Haven Baby Box is temperature controlled, ventilated, and equipped with alarms that alert staff the moment a newborn is placed inside. According to the material distributed by organizers, these features allow a parent to surrender a child safely and anonymously while ensuring the infant receives prompt care.
The fundraiser also highlights Wisconsin’s Safe Haven Law, which has been in place since 2001 and was expanded in 2023. The law allows a parent to relinquish a newborn up to seventy two hours old to approved professionals or through an approved infant safety device. Since enactment, 368 infants have been safely relinquished in the state, with annual numbers increasing from 12 in 2015 to 27 in 2023.
Donations for the Wisconsin Rapids project are being collected through St. Peter and Paul Church. Organizers note that all funds marked for the SHBB project will be directed to the installation of the device.
Author: News Desk
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