NAPLES, Fla. — Collier County commissioners have unanimously approved the county’s first Safe Haven Baby Box, providing mothers in crisis with a safe and legal way to surrender unwanted newborns anonymously.
The $22,000 box will be installed at EMS Station 76 near the intersection of Vanderbilt Beach Road and Logan Boulevard. It will include a climate-controlled space where a desperate parent can leave their newborn without fear of being reported.
“It gives another avenue for somebody who is in a situation where they are maybe not able to care for their newborn child. They can leave that child in an appropriate spot,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz, spokesperson for the North Collier Fire District.
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This will be the third Safe Haven Baby Box in Florida.
Mazurkiewicz emphasized that the goal is to offer a legal and secure option for parents in crisis, which could prevent illegal abandonment of infants.
“When a baby is surrendered, by state statute, if the baby is no more than seven days old, a person can do that without being reported,” Mazurkiewicz explained. “Then, it becomes our responsibility to tend to the medical needs of the child and transport them to the nearest hospital or medical facility," she added.
While Mazurkiewicz supports the new technology, she says it is still advisable to hand the newborn over to an actual person so they can promptly attend to the infant.
"One human, leaving that baby with another human in a totally non-judgmental area is what we would prefer," Mazurkiewicz added,
According to the National Safe Haven Alliance, more than 1,600 babies have been illegally abandoned in the United States since 1999, and many of them did not survive.
“This is a wonderful thing that the county has done,” said Jean Ann Lynch, the founder of Baby Basics of Collier County. Her non-profit provides resources for 600 babies every month and she praised the decision to install the secure baby box.
“I know that other places in the U.S. have done this, and it’s been very successful. Not that you get a lot of babies, but if you’re a desperate mom, unable to provide for your child, and have no place to turn, this is a safe haven," Lynch explained.
Lynch added that while the program may not see frequent use, it could save lives in extreme situations.
“None of us want an abused child or a child left somewhere. I know of a situation where a child was left in the middle of a shopping center. The mother just disappeared, and they never found her,” she said. “There are desperate situations, but hopefully, we don’t get to that point. This baby box is a safeguard," she added.
Established in 2015, Safe Haven Baby Boxes says its mission is to prevent illegal abandonment of newborns by raising awareness and offering a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis.
The new box in Naples is expected to be installed in the coming weeks.
