North central West Virginia’s first Safe Haven Baby Box is now open at the newly renovated Norwood Station in Morgantown, and officials say they hope it will help surrounding counties as well.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are designed to provide a way for babies 30 days old or younger to be surrendered safely and anonymously. The boxes are monitored and climate-controlled 24/7.
“The installation of this baby box is to assist people who are new parents, and for a variety of stressful reasons, just can’t feel comfortable in bringing the baby into the world and raising the baby themselves. So, in place of being at a loss for options and abandoning the child someplace undesirable, they have the option of doing something that’s a little bit safer,” Morgantown Fire Department Captain John Lemley said.