On Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) announced that the newest Safe Haven Baby Box, the seventh to be installed in Alabama to date, was coming to his hometown.
"Alabama is a place that firmly believes in the sanctity and preciousness of life," Reed said. "We have fostered a culture of life with the foundational ideal that all children are gifts from God that deserve love and protection, and I am so thankful this new baby box will provide a safe and compassionate option for parents facing the difficult decision to surrender a child. In Alabama, every life matters, and I want to thank everyone who made this wonderful day a reality for our community and state."
According to Safe Haven Baby Boxes, the non-profit that provides the boxes, to date, the organization's hotline has received over 9,000 calls from every state. Safe Haven Baby Boxes has referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers, assisted in nine adoption referrals, and has had over 150 legal safe haven surrenders. Fifty babies have been surrendered in the boxes, and three were surrendered directly to firefighters at Safe Haven Baby Box locations.
State Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper) also applauded the new box and its potentially "life-saving" effect on the community.
"I am beyond grateful to have this life-saving device available in our community," Woods said. "It was my honor to support legislation that expands Alabama's Safe Haven law to provide mothers more time to decide on how to best care for their baby. We also expanded the facilities in which these baby boxes can be located to include fire departments. I was happy to join Senator Reed in supporting the grant application that helped make this project a reality. I also want to extend my sincere thanks to the City of Jasper, Jasper Fire and Rescue, and Chase and Jordanna Gunter for bringing this project forward."
The Alabama Legislature approved a law in 2023 that would allow mothers to anonymously surrender children to fire stations and medical centers within 45 days of birth. Before the 2023 law, mothers could only be surrendered within 72 hours of birth at hospitals.
The law was touted as a method to save lives by preventing mothers from discarding their children in a way that would possibly cause the infant harm, and the state has already seen the baby boxes at work.
SEE: Third infant surrendered into Madison Safe Haven Baby Box.
The boxers are wired directly to 911 to prevent infants from prolonged exposure. Law enforcement will also investigate if the child is a missing person.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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