During the very early part of 2026, Monica Kelsey and her organization, Safe Haven Baby Boxes, along with fire departments in Tennessee and Texas, assisted three infants and their families through the baby box program.
The first Safe Haven Baby Box surrender of 2026 happened in Tennessee. Within a week, two more took place in Texas.
A child was safely surrendered at a fire station in Atoka, Tenn., in early January, and two other newborns were safely placed in baby boxes not long after in Texas. The first, surrendered in Lubbock, was the first time Texas had an infant surrender at a fire station Safe Haven Baby Box.
“It never gets old receiving a call from a fire chief,” Kelsey told Pregnancy Help News. “They’re excited because they often see the end of life, but here they see the beginning of life, sometimes for the first time, and a mother got to choose what was best for her and for her child.”
Often, news of a safe surrender in one state or community helps another struggling parent choose that option, which may be why three surrenders in Safe Haven Baby Boxes took place within a short period of time, Kelsey said.
“It can be a ripple effect,” she said.
Additional boxes will be launched and blessed in Texas and in Alabama this month, helping more parents in crisis choose safety and eventually adoption for their child. The blessing, often done by Safe Haven staff, fire chiefs at the various station houses, and community leaders, officially opens the box for use in that state and community.
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Safe Haven Baby Boxes have an impact
More than 400 Safe Haven baby boxes are installed around the United States, and more than 70 safe surrenders have taken place since the organization began less than 10 years ago. Last year, 14 infant lives were saved through the program.
“These mothers are choosing boxes in states that have never had safe surrenders before, like Texas,” Kelsey said. “I think we're getting the word out that the boxes are available but we're also getting the word out that there's more options available. Adoption is an amazing option.”
An adopted child herself and a former EMS worker, Kelsey developed the idea of Safe Haven Baby Boxes to address the tragedy of babies left in dumpsters or woods and perishing. According to Time Magazine, 22 infants were illegally abandoned in the U.S. last year, and half of them died.
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have Safe Haven laws in which a parent can surrender an infant without prosecution and often can remain anonymous. The laws vary by state and certain conditions are required to be met. Fire stations and hospitals are among the entities that states allow for surrender. Despite safe haven laws, 31 babies were illegally abandoned in the U.S. in 2021, and 22 were found deceased, according to a report issued by the National Safe Haven Alliance.
Many states are now allowing baby boxes to be installed in locations allowing for a parent to remain completely anonymous, whereas other states still require face-to-face surrender. More than 50 new baby boxes are planned for communities across the country in 2026 that now allow surrenders in such units. A few of these new locations include towns in Maine, Idaho, and South Dakota, and many will receive their first Safe Haven Baby Box, Kelsey said.
Tweet This: All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have Safe Haven laws.
Reaching parents in crisis
Education and outreach are key to reaching parents facing unplanned pregnancy. Kelsey and her team created, and communities have installed billboards displaying a firefighter holding an infant.
The billboard reads, “No Shame, No Blame, No Names,” reminding parents they can safely and anonymously surrender their baby.
“That's the big thing for us – to take care of these moms, we have to meet them where they are and that’s what we do,” Kelsey said. “If we can give them no shame and no blame and we don't take their names we're going to announce that to them so that they understand that this is what we do – we’re not going to shame you at all, ever.”
These billboards help spread the word about this option for parents who feel they cannot care for their baby. Kelsey also believes her organization’s social media presence reaches numerous people, educating them about baby boxes and positively impacting those who might one day need that option.
“Social media is huge right now,” she said. “We have 1.3 million followers on TikTok and almost 700,000 followers on Facebook. We don't pay for followers – they're all organic – and so the people that are following us are the ones that are making it work. They're sharing our posts. It's getting to the moms that need to utilize these boxes.”
Grateful for parents and partners
With three safe surrenders before mid-January, Kelsey expressed gratitude to the parents and to the fire station personnel.
“Thank you to the parents that chose something safe for their child and for entrusting us and the fire departments to take it from here,” she said. “The fire departments did an amazing job in those situations, handling the cases with delicacy.”
She also knows these cases and the people involved, and all that is to come in 2026, need prayer.
“Pray for grace, for rest, for patience, and for energy – that’s what we all need,” she stated.
