In 1999, after multiple cases of infant abandonment, Texas enacted a Safe Haven Law (SHL), also known as the “Baby Moses Law,” which states that if a parent cannot care for their infant, they can bring the baby to a designated safe place – such as a fire station or hospital – and surrender the baby, no questions asked. Since then, all 50 U.S. states have enacted the law with various stipulations. National Safe Haven Alliance says the legislation has helped save more than 4,500 babies.
One Indiana ministry, Safe Haven Baby Boxes (SHBB), uses these laws to fight against infant abandonment. The organization designed “baby boxes” specifically for newborns. SHBB has patented and produced these boxes and placed them outside designated safe places for parents to leave their infants without fear, pressure, or potential judgment. In its most recent episode of The Impact Series, titled The Monica Kelsey Story, American Family Studios (AFS) sat down with Monica Kelsey, SHBB’s founder, to discuss the ministry.
“We just keep receiving more babies every year,” Kelsey told AFS. “We’ve had … 35 babies [placed] in the boxes, [and] we’ve had 133 handoffs [to first responders].
The process of protection
When a child is placed inside a baby box, a silent alarm is triggered, alerting first responders. While waiting to be recovered, the baby is kept safe, warm, and comfortable inside a medical bassinet. According to Kelsey, responders must remove the baby within five minutes, but SHBB reports an average timeframe of only two minutes before the child is secured and in the hands of trained personnel. Once recovered, the infant is taken to the nearest emergency room for medical evaluation.
“We’re helping women and saving babies,” Kelsey said. “We’re literally receiving babies that are born in homeless camps, back seats of cars, and dorm rooms.”
Due to the nature of these births, SHBB also provides vital resources in the box for the parent who utilizes it. These resources are packaged in a small orange bag that drops to the parent’s feet as soon as the box is opened. The resources include information about the mom’s health and what she should expect after giving birth; the state’s SHL; the Safe Haven Registry, allowing parents to provide a medical history for the baby in the future (if they so choose); and more.
“We [also] have a little thing in there for birth moms from us, just thanking them for keeping their child safe,” Kelsey explained.
The birth of a ministry
As an adopted child herself, the issue of abandonment hits home for Kelsey. Born in 1972, she discovered at age 18 that she was conceived through rape. She has wondered if legalized abortion would have erased her life altogether had she been conceived one year later.
“I was whisked into this world by violence and then abandoned as an infant,” said Kelsey. “If there was a picture of an unwanted child, I think my photo would be there.”
Kelsey grew up in the church, but it wasn’t until adulthood that she “fell back to [her] faith.” In 2013, after a spiritual awakening, she found herself at a church in Cape Town, South Africa. There, she saw a baby box used for the first time. On the flight home, she started sketching her version of the baby box and “started the uphill battle of implementing a program that had never been done before in America.”
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the May 2024 print edition of The Stand. Click HERE for a free six-month subscription.)
