MEHLVILLE, Mo. — In the state of Missouri, there is a new option for parents to leave their newborns if they are unable to take care of their newborn.
On Tuesday, the state's first Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in south St. Louis County.
The box is outside of the Mehlville Fire Protection District Station 2 off Telegraph Road.
According to Safe Haven Baby Box program, there are 152 active baby boxes in the United States, and to date, there are 32 babies have been safely surrendered in those baby boxes.
The founder, Monica Kelsey, created the program after her own personal experience.
"I was abandoned in 1973 and my birth mother didn’t have these resources. So today, I'm in front of a movement," Kelsey said.
How does it work?
A parent or guardian opens the door of the box, places the newborn baby, shuts the door and walks away. Three alarms go off to notify crews.
Kelsey said the babies need to be unharmed and 30 days old or less. By the time they are dropped off, Kelsey said the child is usually picked up in two to three minutes.
"The door actually locks on the outside, it’s to protect the baby. It has a heater inside and it's temperature-controlled inside. Once placed inside, the firefighter can get them from the inside of the building and take the infant out," Kelsey said.
An assessment is done and the infant is taken to a local hospital. Then, the baby will be placed in the Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division.
Kelsey explained training was done for the fire crews to be prepared for this and the station is in the process of installing a camera inside the box.
The location
State Representative Jim Murphy (R-District 94) of St. Louis County sponsored the legislation allowing for Safe Haven Baby Boxes, which was passed into law in 2021.
"This is my district," Murphy said.
The Mehlville Fire Chief Brian Hendricks said the box was placed at this site on purpose.
"We wanted to make sure the box was in a place with a lot of traffic and we wanted to make sure we could assist with the climate control, you can notice the box goes into an interior room in the firehouse. I also have two firehouses close to this, so in the event that this crew is out, I can have someone else come in. So, it’s a geographical fit for the box," Hendricks said.
The law
Missouri already has a Safe Place for Newborns Law., which was enacted in 2002 to protect parents from prosecution. The law allows a parent to permanently give up a newborn up to 45 days old without prosecution, as long as it is done according to law and safety.
According to Missouri's Safe Place for Newborns Law, you may leave your newborn with any of the following professionals:
- Law enforcement officer (whether on or off-duty).
- Firefighter
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
- Hospital, maternity home or pregnancy center staff.
- Volunteer at a hospital, maternity home or pregnancy center.
- Any staff in a health care provider position while off duty at a hospital, maternity home or pregnancy center.
However, even with that law, Hendricks said he believes there could be hesitation.
"We’ve had Safe Haven laws in the books for years, it’s the anonymous portion of this program that makes it so powerful. People don’t want to be judged or shamed," he added.
What's next?
If you drop off the baby in the box, a parent can call the number on the box: 1-866-99BABY1.
Kelsey said the parent can access medical care and counseling services.
The installation and box combined cost $24,000, but Hendricks said all of the contractors donated their time for free.
Murphy said he's already received calls from state hospitals looking to put the boxes in.