Monica Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes Incorporated after learning she was abandoned as an infant and after seeing a “baby box” in operation at a church, in Cape Town, South Africa.
Kelsey herself had been abandoned at a small hospital in Ohio. Since she saw that first box, Kelsey said she made it her mission to educate others on the Safe Haven Law and to do whatever it takes to save the lives of innocent babies from being abandoned.
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According to the Safe Haven Baby Box website, the first baby box was installed in 2016 in Indiana and since then there have been abandoned infants in the state who have died. In total, there are 252 baby boxes scattered across the U.S. with two being available in Texas in Abilene and Lubbock. So if you are a mother who is thinking of using a baby box, here is what you need to know.
A baby box is a safety device provided under the Safe Haven Law. It legally permits a mother in crisis to safely, securely, and anonymously surrender if they are unable to care for their newborn. The goal of the boxes is to take out the face-to-face interaction of the surrender and protect the mother from being seen.
The box is installed outside of a designated fire station or hospital. Once they open the box, mothers place the baby in a bassinet and grab an orange bag filled with helpful resources. The box is well-ventilated and climate-controlled so the infant has plenty of air and is being stored at a safe temperature. After the exterior door is closed, it will lock and trigger three failsafe alarms to notify personnel in less than two minutes. Once they arrive, they will get the infant and bring it to the nearest emergency room.
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If the parent changes their mind, they can request to regain custody of the child from their local Department of Children Services within the first 30 to 45 days.
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes website said they have referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers, assisted in nine adoption referrals, and have had over 150 legal Safe Haven surrenders. 50 babies have been surrendered to their Baby Boxes and three babies were surrendered directly to firefighters at Safe Haven Baby Box locations.
While Houston doesn’t yet have a Safe Haven Baby Box, here are locations where you can surrender a baby anonymously:
Here's a look at the locations across the U.S.: