The City of Madison announced Monday that Madison Fire and Rescue received another infant in its Safe Haven Baby Box.
This is the third infant to be surrendered in the box since the initial installation at Madison Fire Department Station One in January.
SEE ALSO: Kids to Love celebrates first Safe Haven baby box in Madison
According to the City, after an initial assessment at the fire station, the child was transported by HEMSI to Madison Hospital for further evaluation. The Alabama Department of Human Resources has also been notified and will work for the child's best interest.
Madison was the first city in Alabama to open a Safe Haven Baby Box, and after the ribbon was cut on the installation, it took just 12 days before a baby was surrendered there.
The box, mounted outside Madison Fire and Rescue Station No. 1, locks once a baby has been placed inside and the door is closed. An alarm alerts medical staff on-site, and they can secure the newborn from inside the building. The process is anonymous.
SEE ALSO: First baby placed in Alabama baby box just 12 days after installation
The Alabama Legislature passed House Bill 473 in 2023, which expanded laws allowing mothers to surrender a child under 45 days old to fire stations that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week year-round, provided they have at least one emergency medical services personnel.
Monica Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes and has built boxes available to parents in 15 states, including several boxes across Alabama.
Kelsey, in her speech when the box was installed, said to an emotional crowd that this had been her life's mission because, in 1972, her 17-year-old mother was raped and became pregnant. After giving birth in 1973, when options like the baby boxes were unavailable, Kelsey was abandoned just two hours after birth.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email Bradley.cox@1819news.com or on Twitter @BradleyCoxAL.
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