Baby Safely Surrendered at Safe Haven Baby Box in Benton

Abortion, , ,

The following is a press release from Arkansas Right to Life.

BENTON – A baby has been surrendered at one of Benton’s two Safe Haven Baby Boxes. It is the second baby surrendered in Benton and the fourth surrender in the state.

It is the second time a baby box has been used in Benton. The first baby was surrendered in May 2020 at the same Benton Fire Station.

“We are grateful that the Safe Haven Baby Box provided this mother with a safe, anonymous surrender alternative for her and her child. I applaud her bravery and the sacrificial gifts of life and adoption that she has given her son through the Safe Haven Baby Box program,” said Mimms.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes are installed on the exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. Other boxes are located in Rogers, Springdale, Mountain Home, Jonesboro, Conway, Fort Smith, Maumelle, DeQueen, Nashville, Magnolia, and El Dorado.

Arkansas Right to Life has promoted the Safe Haven Law through a billboard campaign that began in Harrison in June 2019. Since then, billboards have been placed in 30 Arkansas counties.

Mimms stressed the importance of the billboard campaign and the importance of mothers knowing about the Safe Haven Law and the Safe Haven Baby Box hotline number listed on all billboards.

“The Safe Haven Law can help a mother to safely surrender her child to an official location, hospital, law enforcement or manned fire department in Arkansas or anonymously in a Safe Haven Baby Box,” she said. 

The Safe Haven Law, enacted in Arkansas in 2001, is designed to protect babies from being hurt or killed from abandonment by parents who are unwilling or unable to provide parenting. Under the law, a parent may give up an infant anonymously at a hospital emergency room or law enforcement agency, but in 2019 the law was amended to include manned fire stations as a surrender location. The amended law sponsored by Arkansas Sen. Bledsoe and Rep. Rebecca Petty also approved the installation of newborn safety devices at surrender locations.

–30–

READ MORE

Pregnancy-Help Organizations Have Received $994K in State Grants This Budget Cycle

Abortion, , , ,

The State of Arkansas is nearly finished awarding $1 million in grants to pregnancy-help organizations for the 2022-2023 budget cycle, according to figures posted on the state’s official transparency website.

The state government’s annual budget cycle runs from July 1 through June 30 — meaning Arkansas’ 2023 fiscal year will end next month.

Last year the Arkansas Legislature passed an appropriation measure budgeting $1 million for publicly-funded grants to pro-life pregnancy-help organizations — such as crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and social services agencies — that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

All told, nearly two dozen pro-life charities have received funding under this grant program. That’s something to celebrate!

Pregnancy resource centers and similar organizations give women real options besides abortion. That’s why a growing number of states provide these organizations with public funding.

This year the Arkansas Legislature voted to renew the $1 million grant program for the 2023-2024 budget cycle. That new program begins July 1.

Below is a breakdown of pro-life organizations and the amount of grant funding each has received as of this spring.

VendorVendor DBAExpenditure
INFORMED CHOICES WOMENS CENTER OF THE OZ  $ 79,737.51
PLUM FOUNDATIONPEACE LOVE UNDERSTANDING MERCY     65,011.46
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST      60,143.68
SOUTH ARKANSAS CARING PREGNANCY CENTERHANNAH PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER     59,698.97
OPEN ARMS PREGNANCY CENTER INC      59,134.74
HOPEPLACE NEWPORT      51,936.00
ST JOSEPHS HELPERS OF PULASKI COUNTYARKANSAS PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER     51,718.00
CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER OF CENTRAL ARKANCARING HEARTS PREGNANCY CENTER     51,708.12
HEART TO HEART PREGNANCY SUPPORT CENTER      51,480.56
CENTRAL BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONNEW BEGINNINGS PREGNANCY CENTER     46,812.36
COMPASSION MINISTRIES LTD      46,221.47
HOPEPLACE MONTICELLO      45,445.97
HOPE OF THE DELTA CENTER      44,161.00
HOPEPLACE – FORDYCE      43,936.00
ARKANSAS BAPTIST CHILDRENS HOME & FAMILYCONNECTED FOSTER CARE & ADOPTIONS     39,962.50
PATHWAY RESOURCE CENTER      37,962.08
PREGNANCY HELP CENTERPREGNANCY HELP CLINIC     36,093.47
ALPHA PREGNANCY PROBLEM CENTER OF BATESVTHE ALPHA CENTER INC     32,768.00
CHANGEPOINT PREGNANCY CARE AND PARENTING      31,789.47
ACTS OF HOPE INC      26,230.96
CRADLE THE MATERNITY SUPPORT CENTER OF CKATHLEEN BLOSSOM     25,613.97
RIGHT TO LIFE OF TEXARKANA INCFIRST CHOICE PREGNANCY RESOURCE       7,000.66
Total$ 994,566.95

READ MORE