Safe Haven baby box arrives in Campbell County, assisting mothers in crisis

The Central Campbell County Fire District in Cold Spring unveiled a Safe Haven Baby Box on Sept. 28 to provide an anonymous way for mothers in crisis to surrender infants under 30 days old. This is the first box of its kind in Campbell County and the 71st in Kentucky.

The box is located at the fire station to ensure first responders and emergency medical professionals can care for the infant within minutes of a surrender. After the baby is recovered, firefighters transfer the child to a local hospital for a medical examination. Once surrendered, the child becomes a ward of the state as officials work to find a permanent family.

Fire Board chairman Mike Rust said the decision to install the box was a simple extension of the community building work performed by fire personnel. The unveiling included state Senator Shelley Frunke Frommeyer, Kentucky Representative Nancy Tate, and Addia Wuchner, the executive director of the Kentucky Right to Life. Since 2017, 83 infants have been surrendered through Safe Haven boxes across Kentucky.