Recently, the first infant to be dropped off at a “baby box” was surrendered in Kentucky, following the enactment of a state law that allows for anonymous surrender of newborns.
Monica Kelsey, the founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, reported that the infant was placed in the box installed at the Bowling Green Fire Department within the last seven days. The fire department personnel were able to retrieve the child from the box within 90 seconds.
Kelsey praised the parents for their actions, saying, “This baby is healthy. This baby is beautiful. This baby is perfect.”
The “baby boxes” are designed to give struggling parents a way to anonymously deposit their infants without having to abandon them. The boxes are affixed to the outside walls of hospitals and other public safety buildings, and have a locking mechanism that informs staff of a baby’s presence.
In 2021, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed a law allowing for the use of these boxes, which must be placed at fire departments, police stations, or hospitals that are staffed 24/7.
The infant was the 24th to be surrendered at a baby box across the nine states which have these boxes. Kelsey praised the fire department for their quick response, saying “they did exactly what they were trained to do, and it worked flawlessly.”