by Ashlyn Brothers
BENTON, Ark. (UATV) — Mothers-in-crisis are now able surrender their babies with complete anonymity, free from fear of prosecution. A self-sufficient, climate controlled and oxygen regulated Safe Haven Baby Box is situated on the side of Fire Station 3 in Benton, Ark. The state’s Safe-haven law, enacted in 2001 and amended in 2019, legalized the installation of the Safe Haven Baby Boxes. Benton’s safe space is one of 16 active boxes in the United States.
“The nature of the Safe Haven laws is to offer the parent a safe, confidential option if they feel they cannot care for or do not need to be a parent to the child,” said Marci Manley, deputy chief of communications with Arkansas Department of Human Services.
Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, told UATV the idea came after seeing a similar operation at a church in Cape Town, South Africa. On her flight back to the states, Kelsey sketched her vision for the baby box and brought it to an engineer who built the first prototype. She is now working on the final prototype for baby boxes across the country. The boxes are funded through money raised by the Safe Haven Baby Boxes nonprofit.
Benton City Council unanimously voted in favor of Arkansas’ first baby box July 22, 2019. This came nearly one year after Chief Bill Ford expressed interest in the electronically monitored boxes. The box was officially installed in Saline County on September 18.
The project means something personal to Kelsey.
“Not only did [my birth mother] abandon me two hours after I was born, she was also brutally attacked and raped and that’s how she got pregnant with me,” Kelsey said.
Now women like Monica’s birth mom have the option to safely and anonymously drop off their newborns and walk away—no questions asked.
“Women needed an option of not dumping their children and so, this is just a tool in the toolbox,” Kelsey said.
It’s a tool parents can use in a post Roe v. Wade society.
“What is it going to look like when there is no more abortions in this country?” Kelsey said.
The baby box legislation is something people across party lines are agreeing upon.
“Having broad bipartisan support is a way we can continue to find common ground about a delicate and emotional issue,” said Megan Godfrey, state representative for District 89 (D).
The mayor of the new pro-life city of Springdale supported the cities resolution, but said many pro-life advocates fail to offer other options.
“Many pro-lifers are just saying no to abortion, but not offering any other alternatives for women or families,” Mayor Doug Sprouse said.
He believes the baby boxes could serve as a solution for the city.
“This is probably something we should really look at,” Mayor Sprouse said.
The ultimate purpose is to save a life and find homes for the unwanted children. The boxes are checked once a week to ensure safety and functionality.
“I wouldn’t recommend the baby box to anybody wanting to use the baby box [. . .] but what you don’t want in Springdale is you need a box and not have it. You should have a box and not need it,” Kelsey said.
According to Safe Haven’s Baby Boxes website, 55 surrenders nationwide resulted from calls to its national hotline since the nonprofit’s start. Six of those surrenders were in 2019.
Manley said parents who change their mind after surrendering their child would need to contact the local DHS office in the county where they relinquished the baby and request a DCFS worker.
That worker would help the parent file a petition to regain custody of their infant. Kelsey said there is typically a 30-day window before the termination of parental rights.