The Finnish "baby box" will soon take its first steps in France. The office of Adrien Taquet, Secretary of State for Children, has announced that parents of newborns will receive free “baby boxes” from February 2022 at the maternity ward, confirming information from the Huffington Post. Cost of the operation for the State? As the public contract has not yet been awarded, the Secretary of State did not wish to give any indication on this point. Sources quoted by the news site mention a budget of "several tens of millions of euros over the year".
What is the "baby box"? Originally from Finland, where it was created in 1938, this box offered to young parents contains all the basic necessities for the baby. In the form of a shoulder bag, the "baby box" will indeed contain a sleeping bag, a soap, a bib, a children's book. Several prevention messages will accompany these supplies in order to make parents aware of several public health topics: how to put their child to bed to avoid the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, use natural hygiene products to limit exposure to endocrine disruptors and other chemical products, stimulate the baby from an early age through moments of artistic and cultural awakening... "Each object [in this box] conveys and symbolizes a message that is intended to help parents. It will serve as a support for the dialogue with families in the maternity ward", indicates the office of Secretary of State Adrien Taquet, quoted by Franceinfo.
Pink or blue? Not decided yet
On the other hand, the "baby box" will not offer clothes. “There were discussions on it, but in the end it was not retained as part of the essential things”, explained the cabinet of Adrien Taquet to the Huffington Post. Pink or blue? The question of the genre of the box has not yet been decided. If the cabinet admits that "the color of the sleeping bag will be part of the final reflections", it does not envisage, "spontaneously, any distinction". Also a story of simplifying the task of the nursing teams: “We must not complicate the job in the maternity ward.”
The parents, in fact, will see themselves distributing the precious package to the maternity ward, not at home, insists the cabinet. During the first six months of the implementation of the system, three-quarters of French maternities will be affected by the "baby box". That is some 180,000 parcels distributed. This operation will be done "gradually", starting with establishments located in municipalities with priority neighborhoods and rural revitalization municipalities. The system may eventually be extended to all of France, after an evaluation next summer. According to the Huffington Post, 250,000 other boxes should thus be offered to young parents, with the aim of covering all maternity wards in 2023.
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