Since November 2017, 21 newborns have been deposited in Safe Heaven baby boxes. Installed in fire stations and hospitals, these mailboxes allow parents to leave their children safe and in complete anonymity.
In the United States, all states have safe birth laws that allow mothers to legally abandon babies in hospitals and fire stations. The controversial project Monica Kelsey goes one step further, cutting out the middleman and allowing parents to protect their identities. You simply place the newborn in a crate, set off a silent alarm and rescue workers greet the child on the other side. In the event that the parents change their minds, each state has a variable time limit to reclaim the baby after a prior investigation into the suitability of the home.
Its creator defends the idea that mailboxes help prevent babies from being dumped in places like landfills, harming them, or even causing them to die. However, some critics point to the complications that can arise if the babies are later adopted due to a lack of information about their origin or medical history.
After abortion was abolished in the US, conservative circles promoted mailboxes as an alternative to abortion. It is too early for Kelsey to assess the impact of repealing Roe v. Wade will have on these types of safe-quit systems.
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