Sometimes, when an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy occurs, the mother carries the pregnancy to term, but finds herself incapable of raising the child.  To help these women, safe haven laws have been enacted in many states that allow babies to be taken to firehouses or hospitals to safely leave their babies up for adoption.

Now, worldwide, there are baby boxes, another safe place for a mother to leave her child rather than abandon them in the woods (or in an otherwise unsuitable environment) where they often die. The boxes, which preserve the mother’s anonymity, are installed into fire stations, hospitals, or police station that are accessible from the outside. Once a baby is put inside, the box locks. They are padded and insulated to protect the baby from harsh climates. The box is also equipped with motion sensors that trigger a second 911 call after detecting movement inside.  

Each box costs between $1,500 and $2,000, and are nonprofit; therefore, donations are accepted. Only infants 30 days old and younger may be placed into the boxes. Babies placed in the boxes will be placed for adoption.

Monica Kelsey, the founder of the baby boxes, was a result of her mother’s rape and was abandoned at the hospital when she was born. Now the first baby box in America was installed at her place of work on her birthday, April 19th. Kelsey worked for years making safe containers for abandoned infants, but the safe haven baby box was the first to get approved by the state legislature.

The United States only just recently activated their first of hundreds in Indiana. These hatches are being called “Safe Haven Baby Boxes”. The boxes are being funded by Indiana’s Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic fraternity. The United States already has Safe Haven laws so this concept isn’t new  to Americans. Parents of unwanted infants could already bring their child to a hospital, police station, or fire station. This required a face-to-face meeting and was intimidating for parents who couldn’t raise their child. The boxes are designed to work in coordination with each state’s current Safe Haven law.

The Safe Haven laws have saved over 3,000 babies in the past 15 years, but in that time frame, an approximate 1,000 have been abandoned in unsafe locations.

They are open to helping fundraise for a baby box in communities and launch awareness campaigns. They have found that many people are not even aware of the Safe Haven laws. For more information or to donate, visit their website.