Old images of a parent abandoning a newborn on the steps of a church often come into play when Hoosiers hear of a parent leaving an infant to be raised by someone else.
That image, however, is a thing of the past. Nowadays, some newborns are taken to fire stations or hospitals or, tragically, left in trash bins, by a parent feeling unfit to raise a child.
Recently, state Rep. Casey Cox, a Republican from Fort Wayne, has proposed allowing incubators to be placed around the state as a way for a parent to surrender a child anonymously. The concept would be added to an existing Indiana law that allows a parent to surrender a newborn without prosecution so long as the child hasn’t been harmed.
Already, Indiana identifies fire and police stations as safe-haven sites. Each has instructions for the parent to call 911 if no one answers the door. But not enough Hoosiers know about the potentially life-saving program.
The incubators are about two feet long and contain heating or cooling pads. The devices, which have taken on the impersonal name of “baby boxes,” would include a toll-free number staffed 24 hours a day by a counselor who would first ask the caller to surrender the baby to a person.
The incubators are an imperfect answer to perhaps an even worse fate.
The boxes have been condemned for ethical, religious and health reasons. A United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child wants to eliminate the boxes, claiming they violate a child’s right to identify his or her parents. Others see it as an avenue in which mothers won’t receive post-natal care or an all-too-easy way to avoid discussions of adoption or parenting from various social groups.
The incubators are impersonal and are far from an ideal solution. But they could save lives.
Certainly the need could rise for foster care that is funded through federal and state sources. The Indiana Department of Child Services reports that expenses could increase by $2,300 for every child placed in foster care through the incubator program. That’s a small price to pay.