8 June 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — House Bill 2024 allows a parent of a person with lawful custody the right to surrender an infant who is younger than 60 days to a safety device.
A newborn safety device must be at an authorized location, including a police station or health department. They have to voluntarily install them.
No authorized entities in Sedgwick County have plans to build these devices.
The Wichita Police Department said in a statement:
“We will attempt to seek clarification on several aspects of the Bill. Specifically, where will the funding come from for the purchase and installation of the devices, the staffing and technology that will be necessary to provide 24 hour monitoring of the devices and the requisite training for our personnel on how to safely use them. The WPD is committed to serving the community and ensuring the protection and safety of all life, so at this time, as we are in the process of acquiring more information regarding these critical details and unanswered questions, the WPD will not be participating.”
As someone who grew up in the foster care system, Alexandria Ware sees the pros and cons of the new devices.
“I can see the good and bad in both of those because then you can see rates of kids raising in foster care, but then also like what happens to that mom eventually who may have changed her mind, and in that heat of the moment, she wanted to give her kid away because maybe she was going through something or it didn’t have enough money,” Ware said.
The authorized employee is required to report the surrender to the Secretary for Children and Families.
The container is required to have an alarm that is triggered when an infant is placed inside.