The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports passage of House Bill 1044, authorizing the installation and use of newborn safety devices, commonly known as “baby boxes,” to facilitate the safe surrender of newborn children under the state’s safe haven law.
We must always strive to enact public policies and instill cultural values that encourage parents to remain united with their children and care for them. Yet throughout history there have been circumstances in which women have relinquished their children after giving birth. In our present time this may include situations of domestic violence, drug use, and extreme poverty, among other circumstances.
HB 1044 authorizes an emergency services provider or a licensed child placement agency to install a newborn safety device on their premises which is designed to keep a newborn child safe. The device is a padded, climate-controlled receptacle, equipped with an alarm system that detects and notifies the facility staff and a 911 service when a baby has been placed inside the device.
There are 20 other states that have authorized the use of newborn safety devices, and 52 children since 2016 have been safely surrendered using this method. States that currently have “baby boxes” have seen significant declines in the number of illegal abandonments. Passage of HB 1044 is another step South Dakota can take to protect the dignity of each human life, before and after birth.