What is a baby box? And other options mothers have for unwanted infants

The recent news of a baby found in a garbage bag on the University of Tampa’s campus sent a shockwave through the community: A 19-year-old student gave birth to a baby in a dorm bathroom, the baby’s cries were heard by several people, and then — silence, according to a police report.

Police have not said whether the student will be criminally charged.

The tragedy prompted many questions, like what options did the mother have? Could the baby have been saved? What other protections do parents have in similar situations?

Here’s what to know about Florida’s Safe Haven law and locations.

What rights do mothers have for unwanted newborns?

Florida’s Safe Haven legislation went into effect in 2000 after multiple newborns were abandoned in unsafe locations, like public restrooms and trash compactors. The law allows a parent to anonymously surrender an infant up to 7 days old to any fire station, EMS station or hospital staffed by full-time emergency workers.

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that will increase the age limit to 30 days old and allow a parent to leave the infant with hospital medical staff if delivered in a hospital. The changes also authorize a parent to call 911 to have emergency personnel meet at a specified location to surrender the infant.

Unless Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes the bill, it will automatically become law on July 1.

“We felt it was important to allow more time for new mothers who may be overwhelmed to safely surrender their baby if that is the option that they choose,” Republican Florida Rep. Mike Beltran, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in an email to the Tampa Bay Times.

Still, Beltran said, “women who are carrying babies to term … should probably plan to use traditional adoption channels, which are generally a better option than the surrender program.”

About 380 newborns have been surrendered at state safe haven locations since the bill’s adoption in 2000, according to the bill analysis. In the same period, 63 infants are known to have been unsafely abandoned, 31 of which survived.

Beltran said he doesn’t anticipate the state’s six-week abortion ban to have a significant impact on the number of babies surrendered.

“(The Safe Haven law) was geared toward parents who unsafely abandoned babies, and they were obviously not having abortions, even under the previous more lenient laws,” Beltran said.

What is a baby safe box? And how many does Florida have?

There are two baby safe boxes in the state of Florida: one in Ocala, installed in 2020, and one in Newberry, installed in 2023. Both are located at fire stations, put there by the nonprofit Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

“When a parent wants anonymity, this is the best option,” said Monica Kelsey, who founded the organization based on personal experience; she was abandoned as an infant by her 17-year-old mother.

Here’s how the boxes work: A parent opens the climate-controlled box, places the baby inside, takes the orange bag with resource information, closes the door — which automatically locks — and walks away.

As soon as the door is opened, two calls alert local authorities. A trained professional then takes the infant to the emergency room.

Kelsey cited a case in New Mexico where a newborn was found in a dumpster six hours after it was put there. The average time a baby spends in the box is two minutes, Kelsey said.

“You look at that case and you think, six hours in the dumpster versus who minutes in a baby box. … There’s just no comparison,” she said.

As long as the baby doesn’t show any signs of abuse or neglect, no questions or follow-ups are conducted with the mother. The baby will then be placed with an adoption agency.

Since the Florida box installations, one baby has been surrendered in Ocala and adopted. No one has yet used the box in Newberry. Kelsey said the organization is working on implementing more throughout the state.

What’s the history of baby boxes and safe havens?

History paints newborn surrenders with a neat bow tied on top: A mother places an unwanted baby in a basket, puts the basket in front of a fire station and peeks around the corner to make sure the baby gets in someone’s safe arms.

But that wasn’t happening, according to Nick Silverio, founder of A Safe Haven for Newborns, a Florida nonprofit. Unwanted babies were being unsafely abandoned, which spurred the creation of safe haven laws.

The first U.S. baby safe surrender bill was created in Texas in 1999, nicknamed the “Baby Moses” law after the story of Moses in the Bible, who was put in a basket by his birth mother in hopes someone would find him. Former Texas Gov. George W. Bush signed it into law.

Florida followed suit the following year and enacted a similar law, signed by former Gov. Jeb Bush.

Since then, all 50 states have adopted some variation of a safe haven law.

What about fire stations, hospitals and EMS?

Mothers can also surrender newborns to any 24/7 fire station or hospital in the state, thanks to A Safe Haven for Newborns. Look for a metal, triangle decal, indicating it’s a safe haven location.

“We recognize the direct surrender of a newborn into the hands of a trained and compassionate professional offers the best option and outcomes for both the mother and the newborn infant, while assuring anonymity is properly maintained,” founder Silverio said.

Since the organization was founded in 2001, 392 babies have been safely surrendered in Florida, including eight in Pinellas, 14 in Hillsborough, three in Pasco and 10 in Hernando.

“If you’re pregnant and have no support, don’t know what to do. Call us. We can get you help,” Silverio said. “It’s nonjudgmental.”

A Safe Haven for Newborns (1-877-767-2229) and Safe Haven Baby Boxes (1-866-992-2291) offer free, 24/7 hotlines.