An infant was surrendered to Alabama’s first Safe Haven Baby Box, just days after installation, WAFF48 reported on Wednesday.
A mother placed her newborn at the Safe Haven Baby Box located at the Madison Fire Station #1, 13 days after the box was installed, according to the nonprofit Kids to Love Foundation. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the box on January 10.
“We knew there was a need for these boxes in Alabama,” said Kids to Love Founder and CEO Lee Marshall. “This mother made a difficult and courageous decision when she placed her child in Madison’s Safe Haven Baby Box. We are thankful it was there for her when she needed it.”
Baby boxes were created to deter parents from abandoning their newborns, potentially leaving them to die. Baby boxes are temperature-controlled incubators often built into outside, exterior walls of fire stations, police stations, and hospitals that can be accessed from inside. At-risk mothers can safely and legally place their newborns inside. Then, the outside door locks, and mothers have time to get away before an alarm goes off alerting first responders or hospital staff inside.
The baby is then quickly removed and sent to a hospital for a wellness check. From there, the baby is usually placed into state custody and often quickly adopted.
Madison firefighters responded quickly once the alarm to the baby box sounded. The baby is in good health and was taken to Madison Hospital, according to the report.
Kids to Love spearheaded a bill that passed the Alabama legislature in 2023, allowing baby boxes to be installed in the state. It also expanded the state’s Safe Haven law, allowing mothers to surrender their child up to 45 days instead of 72 hours.
“Kids to Love began working to expand the state’s Safe Haven law in the spring of 2023, when it became apparent that changing abortion laws would lead to more children in need of a loving home in Alabama,” the nonprofit said in a press release.
“Senator Larry Stutts helped us get the ball rolling and Rep. Donna Givens got the bill passed. The Legislature passed House Bill 473 later that year, expanding the law to allow a mother to surrender a child less than 45 days old to fire stations that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week year-round, provided they have at least one emergency medical services personnel,” the organization added.
More baby boxes are coming to Alabama, including in Prattville, Gadsden, Tuscaloosa, and Opelika, according to the organization.