A project designed to provide a safe, anonymous place where parents can surrender infants will begin operating in Foley this week.
The Safe Haven Baby Box will be placed into service with a blessing ceremony on Friday, March 13. The event will begin at 2 p.m. at Fire Station No. 1, where the box is installed.
Foley Fire Chief Joey Darby said the program provides a life-saving option for parents who feel they have no other choice.
“I would hope that this box will never be needed,” Darby said. “Other boxes, however, have been used almost as soon as they opened. There is a need out there and this box could meet that need. This could save a baby’s life. It could also save the life of a parent faced with a seemingly impossible situation.”
The Safe Haven Baby Box offers an alternative for parents who need to surrender an infant but wish to remain anonymous. Babies can be placed in a climate-controlled, monitored box without legal repercussions.
Under Alabama law, mothers may surrender infants up to 45 days old with no questions asked. Once a baby is placed in the box, first responders retrieve the infant and transport the child to a local hospital for evaluation. The Alabama Department of Human Resources then works to place the child for adoption.
Darby said the Foley Fire Department and city officials have spent several years working to bring the program to the city.
“It’s something that we’re passionate about,” Darby said. “We want to see this happen. It’s a very long, detailed process, but we finally got the project put together.”
The Foley City Council approved a lease agreement with Safe Haven Baby Boxes in April. The effort was also supported by legislation sponsored in 2023 by State Rep. Donna Givens, R-Loxley, allowing the installation of baby boxes in Alabama fire stations.
Local businesses and churches have donated services and support to help cover much of the cost of the project.