Perryville installs Safe Haven Baby Box for anonymous infant drop-offs

PERRYVILLE, Mo.(KBSI) — Perryville officials on Monday, unveiled a Safe Haven Baby Box, giving parents in crisis a safe and anonymous way to surrender their newborns.

The new box is located at the Perry County Joint Justice Center, a site chosen because it is staffed by first responders around the clock.

“It was the idea of our County Commission and city aldermen who found that this new construction was the right place at the right time to have this resource built into the infrastructure,” Perry County Sheriff Jason Klaus said.

Unlike fire departments in the area, which are staffed by volunteers and not open 24/7, the justice center provides around the clock protection.

Klaus said his staff is trained to immediately take a surrendered child to the hospital for evaluation. If there are signs of abuse or neglect, an investigation will follow. Otherwise, no effort will be made to identify the parent.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes are climate controlled and equipped with an alarm system that notifies dispatch within 60 seconds of a baby being placed inside for safety. The delay allows the parent time to leave anonymously before responders arrive.

“We have an alarm system that automatically calls dispatch, so it takes away all human error,” said Jessi Getrost, executive assistant with Safe Haven Baby Boxes. “Once the alarm goes off, someone will come and take that infant out and take it to the hospital.”

Nationwide, 366 Safe Haven Baby Boxes have been installed, including eight in Missouri. Two babies have already been safely surrendered in Missouri.

“This box is designed for parents to know their child will be safe and cared for,” Klaus said.

Getrost added that surrendered infants are checked at the hospital before being placed for adoption.

“She’s saying, ‘I want what’s best for my infant,’” Getrost said of a parent who makes the decision. “That child is going to be cared for and placed with a loving family.”

The box is monitored around the clock, always open to help a family going through any crisis. A parent can visit the box at the Perry County Joint Justice Center.

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