BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A healthy baby was recently surrendered at a Safe Haven Baby Box in Bowling Green less than three months after it was installed.
Monica Kelsey, CEO and founder of the Safe Haven Baby Boxes, said each time an infant is surrendered at a baby box "it is an affirmation that we need anonymous surrender options."
"We do not know when an infant will need to be surrendered and when that mother in crisis may want to protect her identity," she said. "We do know that being prepared is the safest option for this situation."
The box was installed at the Bowling Green Fire Department back in December 2022. It's the 132nd baby box in the nation.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are temperature-controlled and sound an alarm to alert firefighters when an infant is placed inside. Once taken out of the box, the baby is checked by medics and taken to the hospital.
"This infant was loved by their birth mother and will be quickly adopted by a family who has been eagerly awaiting a baby," Kelsey said, adding that this is a positive outcome out of a tough situation.
At a press conference on Friday, she said the fire department had an incident years prior to baby box being installed where an infant was abandoned at the door of a safe haven location illegally.
Kentucky has 16 Safe Haven Baby Boxes across the commonwealth.
To find a Safe Haven Baby Box location, click here.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
