Newborn Florida baby is left in child ‘safe haven box’ for first time since it was installed
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Newborn baby is dropped off in Florida ‘safe haven box’ for first time since it was installed more than two years ago; as the founders say, ‘we knew it was only a matter of when’
- A newborn baby was left in a ‘baby safe’ in Ocala, Florida
- The box is designed to allow parents to surrender their babies anonymously.
- To maintain parental privacy, delivery details have been withheld.
- Some 134 of the controversial boxes have been installed in US states.
- All 50 states have laws that allow mothers to give up their babies and not face charges.
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A newborn baby was left in the only “baby safe” in Florida, the first time it has been used since it was installed in November 2020.
The box, embedded in the wall of a fire station in Ocala, is one of 134 Safe Haven boxes in the US that allow parents to anonymously surrender unwanted babies. They have been used 23 times since the first one was released in November 2017.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder and CEO Monica Kelsey thanked the person who used the box, but did not reveal the sex of the child or the time and date of delivery to preserve her anonymity.
“When we launched this box in Florida, I knew it wasn’t going to be an if, but a question of when,” Kelsey told NPR. This is not a surprise.
A newborn baby was deposited in a ‘baby box’ in Ocala, Florida. It is the only box in the state that allows parents to anonymously surrender an unwanted newborn
Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn (left) and Safe Haven Baby Boxes Founder and CEO Monica Kelsey (right)
All US states have “safe haven” laws that allow mothers to turn their babies over to authorities without fear of criminal charges. More than ten states have introduced laws in recent years that allow the installation of baby boxes.
However, they have sparked controversy. Last August, the New York Times published a story criticizing the baby box, calling it “a concept that dates back to medieval Europe.”
He also described them as a ‘conservative’ initiative designed to oppose abortion and place greater emphasis on adoption.
Kelsey said Thursday: ‘We want to talk to the parent who legally gave up this baby, and I’m going to speak directly to him or her right now.
‘Thanks. Thank you for keeping your child safe. Thank you for bringing your son to a place that you knew would take care of this child.’
The ‘baby box’ in which the unidentified newborn was deposited is attached to the Ocala fire station in Florida
Kelsey found the inspiration to start the organization after seeing a box in South Africa, according to her website. She later founded the organization in her home state of Indiana.
“The process, the procedure worked,” Ocala Fire Chief Clint Welborn said.
Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn also took the time during a press conference to encourage other cities to integrate the boxes into their hospitals or fire stations.
“I would recommend to the mayors and council members of the entire state of Florida to do it on their own, just like we did,” he said.
Kelsey (pictured) was inspired to start the organization after seeing a box in South Africa.
Upon handing over his baby, a parent opens the metal door to reveal an air and temperature controlled environment. As soon as they do, an alarm sounds to alert the authorities, but remains silent so as not to scare the parents.
Once the baby is placed inside and the door is closed, it automatically locks, preventing parents from opening it again. The child can then be retrieved from inside the hospital or fire station.
According to Kelsey, the average amount of time a child is inside the box is less than two minutes. A Safe Haven box costs $10,000 and rents for $200 a month.