Baby surrendered to safe haven box in Lancaster, PA

Last month, a baby was safely surrendered at the Safe Haven Baby Box located at Lancaster General Hospital in Pennsylvania. Arrangements are now being made for a family to adopt the infant.

Key Takeaways:

• Last month, a baby was safely surrendered at the Lancaster General Hospital baby box in Pennsylvania, and an adoption is being arranged.

• Every state has a version of safe haven laws that allow parents to safely and anonymously surrender newborns at specific safe locations. Some also have baby boxes, allowing for a greater degree of anonymity for parents.

The Details:

Miracles come in all shapes and sizes — and places. Last month, an infant was surrendered at the “Safe Haven Baby Box” at Lancaster General Hospital and plans are now underway for the baby's adoption. This is the second baby surrendered at this location since the box was installed in January 2023. Before that, babies were left in a crib in the waiting room.

The organization, Safe Haven Baby Boxes, which funds and monitors over 200 boxes across the United States and runs a crisis hotline for parents in need, shared on Facebook:

We had a surrender earlier this month at our Lancaster location. Our hearts are with this mother who selflessly chose to surrender her baby. We are grateful she trusted our organization to keep her baby safe.

Safe haven laws exist in all 50 states, allowing parents in crisis to surrender their infants anonymously and safely. Texas was the first to pass such a law, known previously as the Baby Moses Law, in 1999, and by 2008, every state had followed.

Why It Matters:

Tragically, despite ongoing education by law enforcement, first responders, and the public, some parents still abandon their babies in unsafe places — sometimes alive, sometimes not.

Just last week, a 21-year-old University of Kentucky student, Laken Snelling, was taken into custody after her newborn was found dead in a trash bag in her closet. The cause of death is still being investigated, but she faces charges including concealing the birth of an infant and abuse of a corpse. Kentucky has at least 35 Safe Haven Baby Box locations.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes have already saved countless lives — and could save many more if people knew they existed and chose to use them.

If you or someone you know is considering a safe surrender, call or text the National Safe Haven Alliance hotline at 1-888-510-BABY (2229) for confidential help.