MADISON, Ala. — The Kids to Love Foundation announces a Safe Haven Baby Box in Madison has been used for the very first time in Alabama.
On Sunday afternoon, a mother placed her newborn daughter in the Safe Haven Baby Box at the Madison Fire Department. Firefighters quickly responded once the door closed and the alarm sounded. The baby was in good health and was taken to Madison Hospital.
Kids to Love advocated strongly last year to change Alabama’s Safe Haven law and as a result, the Legislature expanded the law. Previously, the law limited the age of a child who could be given up to 72 hours after birth. The child also had to be given to a hospital that had a licensed emergency department. Now the child can be up to 45 days old, and mothers can give them to fire stations with around-the-clock staffing. The Safe Haven boxes allow mothers to do that at fire stations anonymously.
“We knew there was a need for these boxes in Alabama,” said Kids to Love Founder and CEO Lee Marshall. “This mother made a difficult and courageous decision when she placed her child in Madison’s Safe Haven Baby Box. We are thankful it was there for her when she needed it. “More Alabama cities are going through the process of installing baby boxes, and the fact that this one was used less than two weeks after opening tells us we need more of them ready for mothers across the state as soon as possible. We have seen the tragic results of women not knowing what else to do with a child they aren’t ready to raise, and we never want to see it happen again.”
Currently, Madison and Prattville have boxes open. Tuscaloosa, Opelika, and Gadsden are all undergoing the process. Most of the boxes are being paid for by private donations from the Pilot family in honor of Nikki Pilot Carlisle. Madison’s box was installed thanks to a generous donation from Torch Technologies founder Bill Roark, who is also paying for two more in North Alabama.
Alabama DHR ultimately takes responsibility for the child. A spokesperson with the department said, "When a baby is surrendered in a baby safety device, the child must be taken to a local hospital for evaluation and the local county DHR must be notified. DHR takes immediate care, custody and control of the infant. DHR will then follow its process to find a proper placement for the child."
This corrects previous incorrect information about the placement of the child.