By Guest Author Karen Anne Mahoney, Combat Rosaries 4 Heroes, Writer/Author
Every three to four days, a baby is abandoned in America. Despite that all 50 states have enacted the Safe Haven Law, which allows women in crisis to safely surrender their newborns without facing consequences or prosecution, babies are discarded in dumpsters or other hazardous locations and left to die.
However, thanks to efforts by the Racine Fire Department, Racine Knights of Columbus, Council 15659, Pro-Life Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Right to Life, the first Safe Haven Baby Box located on the outside of Racine’s Fire Station 4, 3829 Washington Ave., Racine, WI, will serve as a secure place where a parent can safely and anonymously place their newborn.
The fire department held an installation ceremony, blessing, and reception for the new baby box at the station on Tuesday, December 10.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill on December 6, 2023, expanding Wisconsin’s Safe Heaven law allowing parents to anonymously and safely give up an unwanted newborn.
Since 2001, Wisconsin has had a process for parents to relinquish a baby up to 72 hours old to law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, and hospital staff. Under that law, the parent is not obligated to provide information about the baby but must give up the baby in person.
The new law allows parents to anonymously put newborns in baby boxes that can be installed at hospitals, fire stations, and law enforcement buildings.
According to Josh Weber, Division Chief and Chief of Health and Safety at Station 4, a few days after the law was signed, Chief Steven Hanson emailed him saying that they should try to get a baby box at the firehouse.
“Ironically, a week later I was contacted by Abigail Jameson, a nurse from Ascension. She asked if we would be interested in having a baby box. After a few discussions, of course, we said yes,” said Weber.
The process from decision to placement of the baby box, took a year and while involved, it was a labor of love. He and the firefighters from Station 4 are happy they can be the first in the city to have the Safe Haven Baby Box.
“After the mom places her baby in the box, she is given 60 seconds to say goodbye or pray for her baby,” said Weber. “After that, a switch notifies Sentry Security, who calls 911 Dispatch and sends tones for rigs. But if we are here and not out on calls, we will handle it. They will go over to assess the baby and transport him or her to the hospital, and then the hospital will call the Department of Child Services and find the baby a new home.”
There are no security cameras outside the baby box, and it has features to maintain a safe temperature in summer and winter, which locks once a baby is placed inside.
There is also a parking spot designated for a Safe Haven drop-off. The parent simply needs to drive up, pull the latch and the door opens. A bassinet is inside the box, ready for a baby.
“The box is kept at 75 degrees and pulls in fresh air from the outside,” explained Weber. “Once a baby is placed, a laser detects the child.”
All someone has to do is walk up, open the box door, place the newborn inside, and shut the door. According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, this is legal in Wisconsin if the baby is unharmed and under three days old.
Ironically, this installation of the baby box at Fire Station 4 is the same location where the station received its first and only “safe haven” baby in the past 12 years, explained Weber.
“The individual came to the door and said, ‘I’d like to give my baby up,’ handed it off and that was it,” he said. “We called the Department of Child Services, and they picked up the baby.”
The Safe Haven baby box in Racine is the third in the state and number 296 in the nation, explained Mariah Betz, Assistance Project Coordinator for the organization. The other Wisconsin locations are in Reedsburg and Elkhorn.
According to Philip Diehn, Grand Knight Council 15659, this is also the first Knights of Columbus-sponsored baby box in the state.
“The City of Racine is so blessed to have caring and dedicated citizens like Abigail Jameson, Darlene Macy-Johnson, RFD Division Chief Joshua Weber, and Assistant Chief Brian Wolf, who had the vision to bring a Safe Haven Baby Box to provide another way to save lives, he explained. “The members of Knights of Columbus Council 15659 would like to thank the parishioners of St. Lucy and St. Sebastian for their generous support of life-affirming programs, like the Change for Life Baby Bottle drive this past Lent. As a result of the funds collected, Council 15659 was able to partner with Pro-life Wisconsin to purchase a Safe Haven Baby Box and work with the Racine Fire Department for installation.”
Safe Haven Baby Boxes was started by Monica Kelsey, a firefighter and medic from Indiana. The idea for the organization came about after Kelsey discovered that she was abandoned as an infant. She developed the baby box concept to prevent similar situations and protect the lives of vulnerable infants. SHBB launched the first baby box in the US in 2016 and received its first surrendered newborn in 2017.
“We are based in Woodburne, Indiana, and have been around since 2016, where I served as a volunteer before we placed the first baby here,” Betz explained. “Finally, in November 2021, I got Monica to feel bad for me and she hired me full-time. To date, we have saved 54 babies nationwide. We have also had more than 150 in-person surrenders.”
Racine Mayor Cory Mason said he is happy that Racine is the third location in the state for the baby boxes. He recalled discussing it in 2006 while he served in the Legislature.
“I compliment the fire department for taking the lead on this and for the city council to unanimously approve it,” he said. “This is a real gift to the community that there is one other way to safely relinquish a baby. It is not ideal circumstances, of course, but it is good we have ways to keep babies safe.”
The cost of the baby box is $15,500. There is also an annual service fee of $500, which Wisconsin Right to Life has offered to pay.
In addition to funding provided by the Knights of Columbus, Pro-Life Wisconsin also donated $2500 to the project. Dan Miller, State Director of PLW said his organization helped lobby for the new Safe Haven baby law.
“Thanks to all of you for making this happen and thanks to the voters who voted for the legislators we have to make this legislation possible,” he said. “This is a beautiful thing to come here and install this baby box. We just installed one in Reedsburg and Elkhorn, and we are so proud of them for saving babies. Now we add to the plate, the box here in Racine. You have been saving babies all these years, but now you are doing it in a different way. Thank you for being open to that. God bless all firefighters and all who have a hand in this. With God, all things are possible.”
The Very Rev. Juan Manuel Camacho of the Catholic Community of Eight in Racine provided the blessing over the baby box.
The nonprofit, Safe Haven Baby Box, also offers an anonymous number for any parent in crisis to text or call: 1-866-99-BABY-1. Or visit https://www.shbb.org/
Article reprinted with permission from the author.
View Pro-Life Wisconsin’s photos from the Racine Baby Box installation here:
Donate the Pro-Life Wisconsin’s Baby Box Fund* to allow us to donate to future baby box initiatives here:
*Donations made to Pro-Life Wisconsin’s Baby Box Fund are used to provide grants to communities seeking funding for their own boxes. Pro-Life Wisconsin is not affiliated with Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. of Woodburn, Indiana.