A Safe Haven Baby Box that was installed less than six months ago in a Chattanooga fire station has seen its first safe surrender.
The baby was reportedly dropped off at Fire Station 6 on the night of Tuesday, March 18, and was retrieved by first responders in “under 2 minutes,” according to a post on the Safe Haven Baby Boxes (SHBB) Facebook page, which added that the baby was “immediately loved by the staff on duty.”
“To the parent that walked up to this Baby Box and selflessly surrendered your newborn, thank you,” SHBB added.
The Chattanooga Fire Department’s Facebook post, shared by SHBB, announced, “The baby is alive and healthy. Due to the mother’s wishes, no other details will be released and no other statements will be made by the CFD or Safe Haven Baby Box. Chattanooga’s baby box became operational in November 2024.”
As local station KWTX.com noted, “Each baby box has a heating and cooling element to provide comfort to the infant when the baby is placed inside. There are also silent alarms to notify first responders immediately to care for the newborn. Surrendered babies are typically adopted by a family within 30 to 45 days.”
Every state in the U.S. has a Safe Haven or Baby Moses law allowing for the safe surrender of infants within a designated number of days, which varies according to state. In Tennessee, a newborn may be surrendered within the first 14 days after birth, to various approved first responder sites, which can be found at the National Safe Haven Alliance.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes (which can be located here) add an additional layer of anonymity for parents wishing to surrender their infants when they feel they cannot care for them. Tennessee has more than two dozen baby boxes installed in various locations, and multiple states across the nation have begun to approve and add baby boxes as allowable devices in which to safely surrender infants to first responders.
Parents in need can call Safe Haven Baby Boxes at 1-866-99BABY1 for assistance, or call the 24/7 Safe Haven Crisis Hotline at 1-888-510-BABY.
