CAMDEN — In 1972, a young woman was sexually assaulted and left on the side of a highway. While her attacker was eventually prosecuted and imprisoned, she later found out she was pregnant. At the urging of her mother she sought out a then-illegal abortion, but had a change of heart. Two hours after giving birth to a baby girl, the mother abandoned her child.
That baby grew up to be Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, and an advocate for Safe Haven laws across the United States. Kelly spoke to Camden’s Rotary Club on Tuesday about her life’s work and the importance of Safe Haven laws in the protection of newborns.
Safe Haven laws allow parents to surrender their babies to medical care professionals, police officers or firefighters.
Recently, Arkansas Senate Bill 168 amended Arkansas’ law to allow manned fire stations to take possession of infants and also authorizes the use of baby boxes.
Kelsey said:
“I’m the founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes - the only organization in America today that is saving babies in boxes in fire stations and hospitals in five states. Arkansas is just ready to launch.”
She added that this week will “be the launch of our first box in the state of Arkansas at the Benton Fire Department.”
The site, Shhb.org describes the process.
“How does the box work?
“1. Parent opens the door to the baby box and a silent alarm is triggered and a call goes to dispatch.
“2. Parent places the baby in the bassinet. A sensor is located on the inside of the box that triggers a second call dispatch call.
“3. Parent can push a button or simply close the door, which sets off a third alarm and call to dispatch and locks the exterior door.
“4. Emergency personnel retrieves the baby from the inside, evaluates, and takes the baby to the hospital.”
Kelsey said: “We run a 24-hour hotline where women can call. We’ll give them advice, we’ll help them with an adoption plan, a parenting plan anything other than the baby box or a surrender, because, let’s be honest, this isn’t a good option. It’s only a good option, if it’s the only option she has left.”
Kelsey said that many abandoned babies are found near hospitals and fire stations.
She said, “They’re not wanting their faces seen,” said Kelsey. “They’re going to the E.R.s. They just can’t walk through the doors. And so when you look at this and say:
‘Well, the law says you have to walk in and hand your child over to the person. That’s just what you’re going to have to do’ These women will not listen. You can’t tell them to do something and expect them do it. They are going to do what they feel comfortable doing. And I tell you, looking a person in the eye - after you have just given birth - and basically saying to that person ‘I want what’s best for my child and it’s not me,’ is going to be the hardest thing this mother ever does.”
The states of Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia accept children up to one month old through the Safe Haven Baby Box program.
A pamphlet handed out by Kelsey details the following facts about Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
• The Safe Haven Laws have been updated to include Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Arizona
• A total of 24 baby boxes are available or planned to be available in Indiana, Ohio, and Arkansas by the end of 2019.
• More than 40 communities are working on placing a Safe Haven Baby Box in a local hospital or fire station.
• Indiana has not had an illegal abandonment or death by illness since the first baby box was made available in April 2016.
• The SHBB National Hotline has received more than 4,000 calls since its inception.
• The SHBB National Hotline assisted with 55 surrenders.
• Two babies have been safely surrendered in the Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Michigan City, Indiana.
Anyone seeking more information about the Safe Baby Boxes can call 1-866-99Baby1 for the Safe Baby Box hotline.