So-called baby boxes part of Heartbeat Bill

An amendment intended to legalize the installation of safety incubators, commonly known as “baby boxes,” is included in the so-called “heartbeat bill” passed by the Ohio legislature Wednesday. A baby box is an enclosed box built into the side of a structure where mothers can anonymously surrender unwanted newborns. They came to local and national attention when Pioneer Village Council on May 16 unanimously approved installation of a baby box in the village fire station. The Bryan Times reports Pioneer’s unanimous approval followed a May presentation by Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, an Indiana-based nonprofit that has installed baby boxes in the Indiana towns of Woodburn and Michigan City.