A Safe Haven Baby Box is coming to Wisconsin Rapids

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WFHR / WIRI) – Approval for the Safe Haven Baby Box coming to Wisconsin Rapids has passed the Finance and Property Committee. There’s a few loose ends to tie up; however, committee Chairperson Jake Cattanach expressed gratitude for the efforts so far.

“Thanks to everyone who has worked on this and brought this forward,” says Cattanach. “It’s a good thing that we’re to this point and soon hopefully we’ll be at the point where we’re doing the blessing of the box.”

A sponsor secured

City Attorney Sue Schill says the city will have a memorandum of understanding with Saints Peter and Paul Parish. They’ll be sponsoring the project in order to do the fundraising.

“Basically the agent (St. Peter and Paul Parish) that would satisfy all of the financial obligations of the city, that the city would have in a lease agreement with the Safe Haven Baby Boxes,” explains Schill.

Fundraising

Once the contract has been signed, fundraising can begin. The Safe Haven Baby Box foundation has strict rules around fundraising and the city is being careful to follow those guidelines. Linda Casper of Grand Rapids has worked on this project for the past six months and said she can’t wait to get the ball rolling.

“Once we get that approval, then we can go out and start collecting donations to fund the baby box,” says Casper. “We’re going to be needing money for the installation, for the actual box itself, and then for the yearly maintenance and upkeep.”  

There is no cost to the tax payer for this installation. The project will be completely funded through donations. Casper says the fundraising goal is $30,000. The initial cost and installation is the big ticket item. After that, recertifying and maintenance for the box should be less than $1,000 per year. The location is yet to be determined, but it will likely be at Fire Station One or Two in Wisconsin Rapids.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Wisconsin

As WFHR previously reported, the nonprofit Safe Haven Baby Box  was founded by Monica Kelsey. She was abandoned at a hospital just two hours after her birth in the early 1970s.

These climate controlled boxes contain a bassinet. They’re installed in a wall in a secure location like a police or fire department. They allow parents to surrender an infant anonymously and without prosecution. The first baby box in the state to receive an infant happened in Racine in October.

Wisconsin Rapids’s installation would be the eighth Safe Haven Baby Box in Wisconsin. The closest two are located in Reedsburg and Green Bay. The rest are in the southeastern part of the state, around Milwaukee.