HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Fire Department and Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System will be presented with over $33,000 in donations toward the Hope's Cradle project later this week. The event will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Fire Station 1 on Main Street in Hutchinson.
The project will allow for two cradle donations for parents who need to give up their babies, one each at two fire stations in Hutchinson.
A Hope's Cradle is a legal, private and secure way a mother or guardian can relinquish their rights of a child anonymously. The cradle is installed on the outside of the fire station. When a child is placed in the cradle and the door is shut an alarm goes off alerting authorities, including 911, that they need to come get the baby.
"Our goal is really to ensure that both the guardian and the child have a future," said Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer. "This cradle can give the guardian hope in a desperate situation and prevent the loss of life."
House Bill 2024 was passed earlier this year permitting the installation of such safety boxes or cradles at both fire stations and police stations in Kansas.
The cradles will be located at the new Fire Station 1 on Main Street and one at the Avenue E station.
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