By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL / Staff Writer

Care Net of Chilton: Chilton’s Women’s Center has Baby Boxes for parents and guardians preparing for little ones.

Inspired by Finnish tradition, Baby Boxes provide a bordered “safe spot” for infants to sleep independent of their parents, and are distributed containing items, such as a tight-fit baby mattress, diapers, wipes, coupons and other helpful starters for parents, according to BabyBoxCo.com.

“This is not something that’s routinely done in pregnancy resource centers, but we just felt that it was something… that went right along with our ministry,” Care Net Executive Director Susan Scott said.

Care Net’s adoption of Baby Box services is an extension of The Baby Box Company global mission, which aims to reduce the number of infant deaths by promoting “safe sleep” and other helpful tips for infant care in countries within its reach. These countries include the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.

Safe sleep promotes separate sleeping spaces for parents and their infants. The Baby Box provides a sleep space for infants up to five or six months of age, or until the child is able to pull himself or herself up independently, according to The Baby Box Company.

Scott said the program was made a statewide service in Alabama by Gov. Robert Bentley in March 2017, launching adoption of the program at numerous hospitals and nonprofits.

Care Net jumped on board.

“You don’t have to be our client to come here and get a Baby Box,” Scott said.

Individuals interested in picking up a free Baby Box are required to first pass an online multiple-choice quiz, and then present the awarded certificate to a representative at Care Net in exchange for a Baby Box.

“They print out a certificate, and bring that certificate in, and we give them the Baby Box and register their email online with the Baby Box people for free items and things like that that they can give,” Scott said.

Scott said the quiz is taken online at BabyBoxCo.com, and is fairly simple and even common sense to many takers.

The quiz covers material addressed in a series of 14 short, instructive videos altogether called Baby Box University, Scott said.

Completing the videos typically takes around 25 minutes.

Scott said individuals who have limited knowledge about or access to Internet can take the course and quiz at Care Net.

“We offer that, as well — a laptop that’s dedicated to that,” Scott said. “We can put them in a private area and they can watch the videos and print off the certificate that they need, and leave with their Baby Box — everything on site.”

Scott said Care Net was the first organization in Chilton County to offer the Baby Boxes, but the program has since been additionally adopted by the Department of Human Resources.

Scott said Care Net is just glad to see women getting help from whomever.

“It’s just an awesome program, wherever they get their boxes,” Scott said.

For more information about Care Net of Chilton pregnancy crisis center, or to donate to the nonprofit ministry, visit ChiltonWomensCenter.com.