Newborn baby left in Florida 'safe haven' box as it is used for the first time since installation in 2020
OCALA, FLORIDA: A newborn baby was reportedly left in a "safe haven baby box" in Florida for the first time since it was installed in November 2020.
The high-tech box, which was installed on the wall of a fire station in Ocala, is reportedly one of 134 Safe Haven boxes in the US that help a person hand over unwanted babies anonymously so that they do not have to consider an abortion. The boxes have reportedly been used 23 times since the first was installed in November 2017. Monica Kelsey, founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, thanked the person who used the box but did not reveal the gender of the baby nor the time and date of the drop-off in order to protect their anonymity.
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Speaking to NPR, Kelsey said, "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," adding, "This does not come as a surprise."
It's worth noting that all US states have "safe haven" laws that allow mothers to surrender their babies to the authorities without fear of criminal charges. In fact, more than 10 states introduced laws in recent years to allow the installation of baby boxes. Nonetheless, the initiative has led to controversy. The New York Times slammed the concept in a story published in August 2022, saying it dated "back to medieval Europe" and that it was a "conservative" initiative designed to oppose abortion and promote adoption instead. "We want to address the parent who legally surrendered this infant, and right now I'm going to talk directly to her or him," Kelsey said on Thursday, December 5. "Thank you. Thank you for keeping your child safe. Thank you for bringing your child to a place that you knew was going to take care of this child," she added.
Kelsey wrote on her website that she found inspiration to start the company after coming across a box in South Africa. She eventually founded the organization in her native state of Indiana. "The process, the procedure worked," Ocala Fire Chief Clint Welborn said. Meanwhile, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn encouraged other cities to also integrate the boxes into their hospitals or fire stations. "I'd recommend to mayors and city council people across the state of Florida to do it on your own, just like we did," he said during a press conference.
If someone decides to surrender their baby, they must open the metal door to reveal a temperature and air-controlled environment. A silent alarm subsequently goes off alerting the authorities. After the baby is placed inside and the door is closed, it automatically locks and prevents anyone from reopening it. The box can only be opened by a hospital or fire station. Kelsey said the average amount of time a child is inside the box is less than two minutes. That said, the box costs $10,000 and can be leased for $200 a month, the Daily Mail reported.