First baby surrendered at Safe Haven Baby Box in Montgomery
FILE – The Safe Haven Baby Box was unveiled in May – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News
The Montgomery Fire/Rescue Department has announced that the first newborn baby has been safely surrendered at the city’s Safe Haven Baby Box.
Today’s announcement said that the baby was anonymously surrendered last month.
As Action 8 News has reported, the Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in May to give a mother in crisis and a safe alternative for her baby.
Montgomery Fire Rescue installed the Baby Box as part of Alabama’s Safe Haven initiative. Since the program launched in January 2024, four infants have been safely surrendered statewide.
“This Safe Haven Baby Box reflects Montgomery’s commitment to compassion, dignity, and the safety of our children,” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said. “Every child deserves a chance at life, and every parent deserves access to resources that protect them during their most difficult moments. This is about ensuring no child is left without care, and no parent is left without hope.”
Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, said, “At the end of May we blessed this location knowing this community was prepared to serve women in crisis from that day on. This mother trusted our program to keep her and her baby safe for which we are grateful. It is the hardest decision and we are here to support her post surrender as well through our hotline.”
Safe Haven Baby Boxes was founded to end infant abandonment. In addition to baby boxes, the organization operates a confidential national hotline (1-866-99BABY1) to provide immediate support to mothers in crisis. Today, Baby Boxes are available in 23 states, offering an increasing number of parents a safe and legal option.
The National Safe Haven Crisis Line has assisted in more than 175 handoff surrenders and 66 baby box surrenders across the country. Each surrendered infant is placed through adoption with families registered as foster-to-adopt, coordinated locally by the Department of Family Services.
