Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization celebrates first New England locations

The Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization has announced the installation of its very first boxes in New England — one in Maine and one in New Hampshire — bringing the total number of states offering the life-affirming option of baby boxes to 25.

Key Takeaways:

• Safe Haven Baby Boxes were recently installed in Rumford, Maine, and Manchester, New Hampshire.

• The boxes mark the first time the Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization has come to New England.

• Safe Haven Baby Boxes offer a way for anonymous, legal surrender, and provide an option for parents who feel unable to parent their newborns.

The Details:

Last week, the Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization announced the installation of two new boxes in Maine and New Hampshire, marking the nonprofit's first presence in New England.

Rumford, Maine

The Rumford Fire Department held its ribbon cutting for the state's very first baby box on May 12.

The box was installed thanks to funding raised by Maine Right to Life.

We are grateful for the dedication of the Rumford Fire Department and Chief Reed, whose leadership and willingness to serve made this life-saving resource possible,” said Lori Cloutier, Board President of Maine Right to Life. “Safe Haven Baby Boxes are about preserving life, ensuring safety, and responding to crisis situations with care rather than judgment.”

Manchester, New Hampshire

Community leaders gathered at Manchester Central Fire Station on May 13 to celebrate the unveiling of the state's first Safe Haven Baby Box.

“I’m very happy that it’s finally done, it was worth all the aggravation,” Catherine Kelley, director of Pennacook Pregnancy Center, which funded the project, said, according to the Union Leader. “I’m thrilled and I know it will be used. It will be bittersweet, but it will mean that somebody had an opportunity to do the right thing for their baby that they couldn’t care for — that’s what I’m happy about.”

The push for the Manchester box came after an incident last year in which a newborn infant was found deceased in a city pond.

Community leaders organized a funeral for the baby girl, named Baby Grace. The infant's mother was later arrested and charged with murder.

Zoom In:

The Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization offers newborn safety devices known as "baby boxes" which allow a parent to legally and anonymously surrender an infant they may be unable to care for, per each state's safe haven law.

The boxes are often installed in fire stations or hospitals. When an infant is placed inside, a silent alarm is triggered, and first responders tend to the child within minutes. Often, that infant is later placed for adoption.

During the New Hampshire installation, Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization founder and CEO Monica Kelsey told attendees how she was inspired to start the organization.

“I got this idea when I was on a speaking tour in South Africa. Yes, it’s a third-world country. Yes, I understood that when I was there, but I am a dreamer,” she said. “As soon as I’d seen that, as a firefighter and a medic I said, ‘Why do we not have this in America? Why is this not in America?’ I started the uphill battle on a flight back from Cape Town, 37,000 feet in the air, with a hand-drawing of a baby box that I envisioned."

That vision turned into a mission that has helped save hundreds of lives.

“To date, we’ve helped, with our hotline and through the baby boxes, over 300 women and 300 babies that have been saved through our program,” Kelsey said.