A baby was successfully surrendered last week in a Safe Haven Baby Box in Bowling Green, Kentucky, marking the second time this year that an infant has been surrendered in that particular location. Another child was surrendered in February, less than two months after the baby box was first installed.
The most recently surrendered infant, who was in the box for fewer than four minutes before being retrieved by first responders, was reportedly taken to a local hospital per the safe haven protocol and is healthy.
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization installs temperature-controlled boxes inside buildings like fire stations and hospitals. When a child is placed inside the box, it automatically locks from the outside, and a silent alarm is triggered so help arrives immediately to care for the infant. The boxes are designed to provide complete anonymity for the parent, who is able to legally surrender the child per the state’s safe haven law.
In Kentucky, parents can surrender infants less than 30 days old at an approved location. KJCT reports that surrendered infants are usually adopted within 30 to 45 days.
“Kentucky has made anonymous surrender a priority through our program and has seen the benefit of being prepared to serve the vulnerable,” said Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey.
“We are thankful for the birth mother who loved her infant and we know that this baby will quickly be adopted by a family who has been eagerly awaiting this call. It is turning a tough situation into a beautiful family,” Kelsey said. “We truly are changing the narrative on safe surrender.”
This year, there have been three baby box surrenders in Kentucky and 13 nationwide. Altogether, 34 children have been successfully surrendered since the first Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in 2017. Many more babies have been surrendered through the Safe Haven Baby Box 24-hour hotline (1-866-99BABY1), which offers parents the opportunity to talk to a trained professional as they consider surrendering their baby.
