The Safe Haven Baby Box organization is celebrating the life of a baby who was safely surrendered at the Montgomery County Fire Safe Haven Baby Box in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. The surrender marks the 50th in one of the organization’s baby boxes since the first one was installed in 2015 and the first since this particular baby box was installed on April 4.
The Kentucky Safe Infants Act allows parents to leave newborn infants younger than 30 days old at a staffed police station, fire station, hospital, or participating place of worship without fear of criminal prosecution or allegation of neglect. Safe Haven Baby Boxes are safe, temperature-controlled boxes installed in hospitals or fire stations throughout the country; to date, they are available in 17 states. When a child is placed inside, a silent alarm is triggered and emergency personnel respond within minutes. The baby is given medical care and later placed for adoption.
“Monday afternoon we were honored and blessed to have a baby surrendered at our Fire Station in Montgomery County, KY. The baby boy was surrendered and appeared to be in good health and was transported to our local hospital,” Montgomery County Fire Captain Zachary Adams stated in a press release. “We want to thank Gateway Right to Life for making this possible and Montgomery County Kiwanis for 100% funding of this project! There aren’t words to express how happy we are to be part of this opportunity!”
He added, “Words cannot describe it. We weren’t expecting this. I truthfully thought the box would never be used.”
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Safe Haven Baby Boxes are designed to help parents in crisis surrender their children anonymously if they so choose, according to their state’s safe haven laws. The organization’s founder, Monica Kelsey, notes that these boxes are a “last resort” option for mothers and offer an alternative to infant abandonment.
“Thank you for keeping your child safe, for entrusting the Montgomery County Fire Department to take it from here,” Kelsey addressed the mother during a press conference. “Your baby is healthy, your baby is safe.” She also invited the mother to call her organization if she is in need of help, resources, or just someone to talk to.
In her press release, Kelsey reiterated her thanks and noted that the baby would soon be placed for adoption. According to WKYT, the parent of the baby has 30 days to reverse his or her decision to surrender the child.
“Our program offers hope to mothers in crisis. We are so grateful this mother trusted us to protect her infant as well as her identity. It is a selfless act and we are proud of the birth mother,” she said.
