State Rep. Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis County, who wrote the 2021 law allowing safe haven baby boxes in Missouri, believes every hospital should have one.
He told Missourinet that so far, it’s firehouses that have stepped up to install them.
“I’m pressuring the (Missouri) Hospital Association to look at this,” said Murphy. “But I think the problem with the hospitals is in such busy places it’s not as anonymous as the firehouse would be when it’s, you know, in the middle of the night or in the afternoon.”
Murphy said Missouri now has ten safe haven baby boxes installed, with several more in the works. The Missouri Legislature has also designated funding to match private fundraising aimed at installing the temperature-controlled rescue bassinets.
“So, the funding we put into it this year would fund at least 25 boxes,” said Murphy. “I know Kansas City is looking at putting six in. We just had one put in in Florissant, so it’s spreading like wildfire.”
Since the first safe haven baby box was installed in 2023, three newborns have been safely surrendered — two in Mehlville and one in O’Fallon — and on November 24th at noon, Mehlville’s firehouse in Oakville will dedicate the state’s latest box.
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