The newborn baby will be placed in Florida’s “Safe Haven Box” for the first time since it was installed over two years ago – as the founders say, “We knew it was just a matter of timing.”
- A newborn baby was left in a “safe baby box” in Ocala, Florida
- The box is intended to enable parents to hand in their babies anonymously
- To protect parental privacy, submission dates have been withheld
- About 134 of the controversial boxes have been installed in US states
- All 50 states have laws allowing mothers to lose babies without charge
A newborn baby was left in Florida’s only “Safe Haven Baby Box” – the first time it has been used since it was installed in November 2020.
The box, embedded in the wall of an Ocala fire station, is one of 134 safe-haven boxes across the US that allow a parent to anonymously hand over unwanted babies. They have been used 23 times since the first one was launched in November 2017.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder and CEO Monica Kelsey thanked the person who used the box but did not reveal the child’s gender or the time and date it was dropped off in order to maintain her anonymity.
“When we launched this box in Florida, I knew it wasn’t going to be an if — it was going to be a matter of when,” Kelsey told NPR. “It’s no surprise.”
A newborn baby was dumped in a “baby box” in Ocala, Florida. It is the only box in the state that allows parents to hand in an unwanted newborn anonymously
Kent Guinn, Mayor of Ocala (left) and Monica Kelsey, Founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes (right)
All states in the US have “safe haven” laws that allow mothers to hand over their babies to the authorities without fear of criminal charges. More than ten states have passed laws in recent years that allow the installation of baby boxes.
However, they have attracted controversy. Last August, The New York Times ran a story critical of the baby box, calling it “a concept from medieval Europe.”
It also described them as a “conservative” initiative that aims to oppose abortion and place greater emphasis on adoption instead.
Kelsey said on Thursday: “We want to reach out to the parent who legally gave up this child and now I will speak to her or him directly.
‘Thank you. Thank you for protecting your child. Thank you for taking your child to a place you knew would care for that child.’
The “baby box” in which the unidentified newborn was placed hangs at the Ocala Fire Station in Florida
Kelsey found inspiration to start the organization after seeing a box in South Africa, according to her website. She then founded the organization in her home state of Indiana.
“The process, the procedure worked,” said Clint Welborn, Ocala Fire Chief.
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 mayors and city councils across the state of Florida to do it themselves, as we have done,” he said.
Kelsey (pictured) found the inspiration to start the organization after seeing a box in South Africa
Upon delivery of their baby, a parent opens the metal door to reveal a temperature and air-controlled environment. As soon as they do so, an alarm goes off, alerting authorities, but it’s muted so as not to startle parents.
Once the baby is put in and the door is closed, it locks automatically, preventing the parents from opening it again. The child can then be removed from the hospital or fire station.
According to Kelsey, the average time a child spends in the crate is less than two minutes. A safe-haven box costs $10,000 and leases for $200 per month.