MONTICELLO — After 18 months of preparing, planning and raising money, Tammy Vogel has finally watched her hard work come to fruition as the installation for White County’s Safe Haven Baby Box (SHBB) began this week.
The journey first began in March 2020 when Vogel and Monticello Fire Chief Galen Logan proposed their goal of securing a SHBB for White County to the Monticello City Council.
A Baby Box is a safety device provided for under the state’s Safe Haven Law that legally permits a mother in crisis to safely, securely and anonymously surrender her baby if she is unable to care for her newborn.
A devices are installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. It has an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn inside, and an interior door allows a medical staff member to secure the surrendered newborn from inside the designated building.
After receiving unanimous approval from the city council, the go-ahead was also granted by the Monticello Board of Public Works and Safety.
In May 2020, Mayor Cathy Gross signed a contract to join the SHBB network and begin the process of procuring the equipment.