LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky had its second baby surrendered this year at a Safe Haven Baby Box.
Firefighters at Okolona Fire Station welcomed the baby girl Tuesday night.
"A lot of them aren't dads, but yet watching them, they all became a dad that night,” Fire Chief Mark Little said.
“The program they worked so hard to put in place back in 2021 has finally brought a blessing to them," Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey said.
The fire station became Kentucky’s first baby box location in June 2021.
Chief Little says an alarm went off when the newborn was left inside and they retrieved her within a minute. She was then taken to a hospital for medical evaluation and will soon be placed with adoptive parents, which Kelsey says wouldn't have been possible without the child's mother.
"This parent chose a loving, safe, legal, and anonymous option to keep her child safe, and so we're so thankful that she did that,” she said.
According to a press release, Safe Haven Baby Boxes has had eleven babies surrendered through the baby box program in 2023. The first surrender in a baby box happened in 2017, and now a total of 32 babies have been placed in a baby box since then.
“Almost exactly two years ago we blessed this Baby Box, not knowing when or if it would be necessary," Kelsey said. "Each time this occurs we are so grateful for the trust the birth mother places in our organization and we are so pleased we had a system in place for a time such as this."
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are temperature-controlled and sound an alarm to alert firefighters when an infant is placed inside. The baby is then retrieved within three minutes or less, officials said. Once taken out of the box, the baby is checked by medics, taken to the hospital, and then placed with a family who will adopt the baby.
There are currently 151 baby boxes across Indiana, Arkansas, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, New Mexico, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes also provides a 24 hour hotline with counseling on the Safe Haven Law for the U.S.
If you need to speak to a licensed counselor call the National Safe Haven crisis hotline at 1-866-99BABY1.
To find a Safe Haven Baby Box location, click here.
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