ABILENE, Texas — A blessing will be held Tuesday for a Safe Haven Baby Box that has been installed in the south wall of the Abilene Fire Department's Station 7, 431 N. Pioneer Drive.
The blessing at 2 p.m. will also include more information about the location and the program allowing for anonymous surrender.
The new location is the first for Texas, but the 212th across the country, according to founder Monica Kelsey. Five mothers have surrendered their infants in a Safe Haven Baby Box so far in 2024.
The Abilene project was made possible by Dr. James Sulliman, West Texans for Life, who Kelsey said, "quickly supported this mission to be the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Texas."
AFD Chief Cande Flores said, "The Abilene Fire Department is proud to partner with local community supporters and hopes that the Safe Haven Baby Box serves as a welcome to parents who are looking for a safe, anonymous option to help them through difficult times."
The Safe Haven Baby Box organization also confidentiality help women in crisis with its national hotline, 866-99BABY1, that has helped with more than 140 surrenders.
Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi and now, Texas, have a baby box presence.
“Texas leads the nation in infant abandonment and we know we can change this! We can make an impact by providing a place for safe, anonymous surrender for mothers in crisis. Abilene is starting a trend of change in Texas and we are so thrilled to be a part of it!” Kelsey said.
When the box door opens, a silent alarm sounds alerting first responders, when the baby is placed in the bassinet and when the door shuts and automatically locks. The baby will then be immediately taken to a hospital for medical evaluation, then placed with an adoptive family.
Families who would like to adopt a Safe Haven baby should reach out to their local Department of Family Services to register for foster care to adopt. Forty-three infants have been placed in a baby box with the numbers increasing yearly since 2017.
The organization said the event is open to the public.
