Baby box truly safe haven

We have seen government at its best, and that’s when it works.

Last week, an infant was anonymously dropped off at a Safe Haven Baby Box, a surrender location for unwanted babies. This is a good thing, as that’s exactly how it’s supposed to work.

The infant was the 24th child in the country to be surrendered at one of more than 130 baby boxes, and the first in Kentucky.

A baby box is a safety device allowing a mother to surrender her baby legally, securely and anonymously. It’s installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital with an exterior door that locks automatically and an interior door for medical staff members to take the baby into care.

The baby surrendered last week was received in good condition, Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder and CEO Monica Kelsey said.

Gov. Andy Beshear signed a law in 2021 that allows the use of baby boxes for children younger than 30 days. The law requires the boxes to be at police stations, fire stations or hospitals that are staffed 24 hours a day. It also requires equipping them with a notification system to alert the first responders on site that a child has been placed inside the box.

Ashland’s fire department has been approved to receive a Safe Haven baby box. The goal is to have at least one baby box in every county in the state.

Desperate people sometimes do desperate things. A new mother who is in no condition, physically or financially, to care for a baby and who has no support system is one such desperate person. The best thing society can do for desperate people is to provide compassion and help. That’s what is provided by offering Safe Haven Baby Boxes. Kudos to the idea and for Boyd County’s participation.