Idaho has joined the growing list of states to adopt the Safe Haven Baby Box initiative, aimed at preventing infant abandonment and ensuring the safe surrender of newborns. The first box in the state was officially inaugurated at Grove Creek Medical Center in Blackfoot, bringing the total number of such boxes nationwide to 245.
Founded by Monica Kelsey in 2015, the organization has been working tirelessly to combat infant abandonment, and 17 states have now joined the effort. The Safe Haven Baby Box is a temperature-controlled incubator designed to provide a safe and legal option for at-risk mothers to surrender their newborns.
Accessible from the inside, the box can be found in exterior walls of fire stations, police stations, and hospitals. Once a mother places her baby inside, the outside door locks, and an alarm sounds, alerting first responders or hospital staff to the child’s presence. The baby is then quickly removed and sent to a hospital for a wellness check, often leading to state custody and eventual adoption.
According to Local News 8, at least 50 infants have been surrendered to baby boxes since 2017, with the National Safe Haven Crisis line helping with over 150 handoff surrenders annually.
Idaho lawmakers unanimously passed an amendment to the existing Safe Haven Baby Act in March allowing Safe Haven Baby Boxes to be used, according to the Idaho State Journal. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) quickly signed the law and it went into effect on July 1.
