TULSA, Okla. — A new Safe Haven Baby Box has just opened at Saint Francis, marking the first of its kind in Eastern Oklahoma.
The initiative offers a safe and anonymous way for parents to leave their newborns, up to 30 days old, without any face-to-face interaction.
“The box provides 100% anonymity… Moms are telling us this is what they want," said Mariah Betz, Assistant Project Coordinator of Safe Haven Baby Box.
Betz, who joined a friend in creating the Safe Haven Baby Box in 2016, says the process is simple.
"All she (the mom) has to do is open the door, place her unharmed newborn in the bassinet. The orange bag will fall out with resources for the mom. Shut the door and walk away," Betz explained.
The new box is the 329th in the U.S., with 56 babies having been safely placed so far.
It triggers an alarm when the door is opened and then shut and locked, notifying a medical team to evaluate the baby quickly without the mother being known.
“It’s gives moms another option to safely and lovingly surrender their newborns,” Betz said.
The Safe Haven Baby Box program operates under the Oklahoma Safe Haven Law, which ensures that parents are protected from prosecution for abandoning their child in this manner.
Betz's mission is clear: “Whatever it takes to save the lives of babies from being abandoned.”
If you are a parent in need of help or considering surrendering your baby, the 24-hour hotline is 1-866-99BABY1.
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