Don’t make criminals out of desperate mothers.
That is the message from a group of child safety advocates who are on a mission to challenge the criminalisation of mothers who place their newborn babies in baby safes or other places of safety.
ABC Private Safety Care, an association for babies in crisis, in partnership with the Celebration of Grace Project, a project by Charmaine Keevy, the woman who discovered a newborn dumped in a drain in April 2018 are calling for women who leave babies in either a baby safe, at a police station, hospital or clinic out of desperation to be pardoned.
“No mother really wants to abandon her baby, but they are generally victims of circumstance and often leave their newborn babies in unsafe spaces like drains out of desperation.
“The shame and fear of abandoning a baby makes mothers do it so secretively and dangerously for the baby whereas, if we could have access to those women, it would result in a better life for the baby,” ABC Private Safety Care’s Kim Michell said.
Mitchell spoke at the opening of the Missionvale Care Centre’s baby safe, where mothers can anonymously drop off newborns they cannot take care of.
This was the brainchild of Keevy after she found a newborn in a drain while taking her dog on a morning walk.
The discovery inspired Keevy to open five baby safes and pregnancy crisis centres around Nelson Mandela Bay to give mothers an alternative to leaving babies in dangerous places — and babies a chance at life.
Keevy has partnered with the Missionvale Care Centre in facilitating pregnancy prevention methods.
“Most importantly, our aim is to prevent unwanted pregnancies so mothers never have to find themselves in a situation of wanting to dump a baby, but if it happens we want to be there to ensure the precious child is given a chance at life,” Keevy said.
The Missionvale baby safe is the second of the five targeted by Keevy.
The first was opened at Thand’usana Baby Haven at the Newton Park Methodist Church about four months ago.
The safe is attached to a wall of the backyard of the Missionvale Centre’s caretaker.
As soon as a baby is placed in it, five registered emergency contacts including the police, ambulance services and the ABC Private Safety Care are contacted to collect the baby and send them to Dora Nginza Hospital for medical examinations and the opening of a case of abandonment by social workers.
Thereafter, the child is placed into safe care while arrangements for a home are made.
According to the Children’s Act, all dumping of babies is illegal, thus baby safes are illegal.
However, Keevy, Michell and other stakeholders are hoping to change that.
They are in meetings with a Port Elizabeth advocate for advice on the process.
“It's going to be a long process but we will not say we won’t succeed.
“Even if it takes two or five years, we will follow through,” Mitchell said.
‘Don’t make criminals out of desperate mums’
Image: WERNER HILLS
Don’t make criminals out of desperate mothers.
That is the message from a group of child safety advocates who are on a mission to challenge the criminalisation of mothers who place their newborn babies in baby safes or other places of safety.
ABC Private Safety Care, an association for babies in crisis, in partnership with the Celebration of Grace Project, a project by Charmaine Keevy, the woman who discovered a newborn dumped in a drain in April 2018 are calling for women who leave babies in either a baby safe, at a police station, hospital or clinic out of desperation to be pardoned.
“No mother really wants to abandon her baby, but they are generally victims of circumstance and often leave their newborn babies in unsafe spaces like drains out of desperation.
“The shame and fear of abandoning a baby makes mothers do it so secretively and dangerously for the baby whereas, if we could have access to those women, it would result in a better life for the baby,” ABC Private Safety Care’s Kim Michell said.
Mitchell spoke at the opening of the Missionvale Care Centre’s baby safe, where mothers can anonymously drop off newborns they cannot take care of.
This was the brainchild of Keevy after she found a newborn in a drain while taking her dog on a morning walk.
The discovery inspired Keevy to open five baby safes and pregnancy crisis centres around Nelson Mandela Bay to give mothers an alternative to leaving babies in dangerous places — and babies a chance at life.
Keevy has partnered with the Missionvale Care Centre in facilitating pregnancy prevention methods.
“Most importantly, our aim is to prevent unwanted pregnancies so mothers never have to find themselves in a situation of wanting to dump a baby, but if it happens we want to be there to ensure the precious child is given a chance at life,” Keevy said.
The Missionvale baby safe is the second of the five targeted by Keevy.
The first was opened at Thand’usana Baby Haven at the Newton Park Methodist Church about four months ago.
The safe is attached to a wall of the backyard of the Missionvale Centre’s caretaker.
As soon as a baby is placed in it, five registered emergency contacts including the police, ambulance services and the ABC Private Safety Care are contacted to collect the baby and send them to Dora Nginza Hospital for medical examinations and the opening of a case of abandonment by social workers.
Thereafter, the child is placed into safe care while arrangements for a home are made.
According to the Children’s Act, all dumping of babies is illegal, thus baby safes are illegal.
However, Keevy, Michell and other stakeholders are hoping to change that.
They are in meetings with a Port Elizabeth advocate for advice on the process.
“It's going to be a long process but we will not say we won’t succeed.
“Even if it takes two or five years, we will follow through,” Mitchell said.
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