PEARL RIVER COUNTY — A Safe Haven Baby Box has been installed at the Picayune Fire Department’s Central Fire Station, providing parents in crisis with a safe and anonymous option to legally surrender a newborn once the device becomes operational. 

The box is not yet available for use because the required alarm system is still being installed, according to Libby Garcia, chairwoman of the Pearl River County Republican Women. Officials said an announcement will be made when the Safe Haven Baby Box is activated and ready for use. 

The project is a partnership between the Picayune Fire Department and the Pearl River County Republican Women. The box is located at the Central Fire Station, which is staffed 24/7. If firefighters are responding to another emergency, the alarm system will automatically notify 911 so another emergency responder can be dispatched immediately. 

Safe Haven Baby Boxes are designed to prevent illegal infant abandonment by providing a secure, anonymous surrender option for parents in crisis. Once a newborn is placed inside the climate-controlled box, the exterior door locks automatically and an alarm immediately alerts emergency personnel who retrieve the infant from inside the building and provide medical care. 

Picayune Fire Chief Joshua Abercrombie said Safe Haven Baby Boxes, a nonprofit organization, worked with Mississippi lawmakers to expand the state’s Safe Haven law before helping communities install the devices. 

“Within the last 10 years, this group has come to the state of Mississippi, and they worked hard with the legislators to get these laws changed and for us to get on the same page and for them to be able to voluntarily surrender babies,” Abercrombie said. 

The nonprofit also provides education about Safe Haven laws, training for first responders and a 24-hour crisis hotline for parents seeking information about their options before surrendering a newborn. 

Under Mississippi’s Safe Haven law, a parent may voluntarily surrender a newborn who is 45 days old or younger to an emergency medical provider or through an approved Safe Haven Baby Box without intent to return for the child, provided the infant has not been abused or neglected. Once surrendered, the child is placed in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services. 

State law also requires facilities operating a Safe Haven Baby Box to post signage approved by the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services explaining the age limit for surrender and informing parents that voluntarily surrendering a child permanently relinquishes their parental rights and responsibilities. 

Abercrombie said he hopes the Safe Haven Baby Box will provide another option for parents facing difficult circumstances. 

“Everyone is in different spots in their lives, and not everyone is blessed to support a child financially, physically and mentally,” Abercrombie said. “This gives another avenue to parents who maybe have that hopeless feeling or maybe have that feeling where they don’t feel like they can provide the quality of life that this child needs.”