A newborn baby was reportedly dropped off in a ‘Safe Haven Baby box’ in Florida for the first time since it was installed in 2020.
The Safe Haven program allows parents to anonymously and safely surrender their newborns if they believe that they are unable to care for their babies, preventing them from being somewhere else.
There are more than 130 boxes installed across the US and they have been used 23 times since the program started.
Florida has one of Safe Haven boxes and for the first time since it was installed at an Ocala fire station in 2020, it was used during the Christmas period.
Monica Kelsey, the CEO and founder of Safe Haven, told NPR: “When we launched this box in Florida, I knew it wasn’t going to be an if – it was going to be a matter of when. This does not come as a surprise.”
She also told WESH: “We know this baby will be so loved by an adoptive family. We are so thrilled to be a part of protecting infants from abandonment.”
According to PEOPLE, the Safe Haven boxes cost $10,000 to install. Then, they are leased for $200 a month.
Each box features a temperature and air-controlled environment and its metal door has a lock system.
Authorities are alerted to the baby’s presence one minute after the door closes so they can quickly come and get the child.
Once locked, the box cannot be opened again from the outside and the child can only be collected from inside the building.
Ocala’s Mayor Kent Guinn shared his joy that the scheme has been used successfully, saying that he’s delighted that resources were available for the parent to safely surrender the baby to give the child a ‘bright future.’
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