MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center has installed a Safe Haven Baby Box— the second baby box in Iowa.
Safe Haven Baby Box is a non-profit organization founded by Monica Kelsey, who founded the organization after discovering that she was abandoned as an infant. After this revelation, Kelsey made it her mission to save the lives of innocent infants from being abandoned.
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes originated in Indiana, where the first Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in April 2016. There are about 205 baby boxes in the United States, with 115 of them in Indiana. Aside from Indiana and Iowa, 14 other states also have baby boxes.
The first baby box in Iowa was installed at Fort Dodge in 2023 after six months of planning. 10 infants were dropped off during the first year. “We test the baby box every week to make sure it’s working properly and functioning right. The baby box is here in case someone does need to use it,” explained Jeff Till, a worker from the Fort Dodge Fire Department.
There is absolutely no surveillance nor lighting near the baby box. The Safe Haven Baby Box website states “The Safe Haven Baby Box takes the face-to-face interaction out of the surrender and protects the mother from being seen,” making the process completely anonymous. This is intended to protect the parent’s privacy while ensuring the infant’s safety.
Kelsey was concerned about the infant as well as the parent, she wanted a way for them both to feel safe. Kelsey conveyed “ Safe Haven Baby Box was invented to protect infants and help parents give up their infants in a safe way while also protecting their privacy and making them anonymous.” She wanted the baby box to be anonymous so the parents could give up the baby without getting shamed.
Once the baby has been placed in the bassinet, the parent can either push a button or close the door. This triggers an internal alarm after 60 seconds, allowing some time for the parent to leave.
The alarm notifies the Rapid Response Team, which consists of nurses and physicians that is staffed by MercyOne and is available 24/7. When a baby is surrendered, they are taken to the emergency room for a full assessment. After the assessment, the Iowa Department of Human Services is notified, which then takes over the care of the child.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are typically installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital, ensuring easy access to anyone in need. Easy access to the baby box is essential due to the increasing amount of restrictions on abortions in Iowa. The restrictions increase the chances of babies being abandoned after birth.
