Another instance of the beneficial effects of the Safe Haven Baby Box initiative was observed last Thursday, when a baby was discovered to be safe and healthy in a box installed in a Bowling Green First Department just a few months ago. When the box was initially placed in place last December, it became the 16th Safe Haven Baby Box in Kentucky and the 132nd in the country, according to Katy Beth Boyers and Isaac Calvert.
“Safe Haven Baby Boxes reports that 24 infants have been placed in a Baby Box since November 2017,” Boyers and Calvert added. “In 2022, eight newborns were surrendered via a Baby Box,” [].
Thursday’s infant was the first of the year surrendered in Kentucky. The child is now in the custody of child protective services.
“This Baby Box location has been operational for approximately three months, yet it was available when needed, which is crucial,” stated Monica Kelsey, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Safe Haven Baby Box. “This infant is healthy, beautiful, and perfect, and the Department of Child Services is now seeking a suitable adoptive family.”
She further noted, “We are aware that this infant was cherished by their birth mother and will soon be adopted by a family that has been eagerly awaiting a baby. We are pleased to have the opportunity to facilitate a positive outcome in challenging circumstances.”
During a Friday press conference, Kelsey made it clear that the infant was not abandoned; rather, the mother was providing her child with the opportunity for a better life.
“This child was legally, safely, anonymously, and lovingly placed inside of this Safe Haven Baby Box,” stated Kelsey. It is unclear who brought the child to the Safe Haven Baby Box and surrendered it. This is one of the benefits of the box. The box offers absolute anonymity, which is precisely what the parent received in this instance.
In 2021, Kentucky enacted legislation that permits children under 30 days of age to be anonymously surrendered at a “newborn safety device,” as reported by CNN. (As reported by PEOPLE magazine, the child was removed from the climate-controlled box approximately 90 seconds after being surrendered, according to Kelsey.)
Kelsey further noted that the law stipulates that all police stations, fire stations, or hospitals chosen as locations for the baby boxes must be staffed around the clock.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
