The bill would create one baby box at Engine 17's House on Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., the first in the City. It would allow parents to anonymously drop a child younger than 45-days-old off without facing prosecution. Alderwoman Laura Keys said there will be unwanted pregnancies in a post Roe v Wade world.
"To go back to Roe v Wade, we know that there will be unwanted pregnancies due to whatever the circumstance," Keys says, adding "be it rape, incest or just unfortunately you got pregnant."
Alderwoman Laura Keys says she wants to give those who can't properly care for a child an option.
"We know what we don't want is for children to be put in an unsafe situation because a mother feels like she doesn't have any other way to see that this child is cared for if she chooses not to parent."
Alderwoman Keys adds she would like to see them all over the city.
"I really believe that there should be at least one [baby box] in every ward in our city. There are 14 wards, there should be 14 boxes."
Alderwoman got the suggestion from a resident to create these boxes. The resident got the idea after seeing the Mehlville Fire Department's baby box receive it's first infant in February. The bill was passed out of committee and now heads to the full board of Aldermen.