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July 29, 2021On April 27, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 960, legalizing the installation of “baby boxes” in hospitals and other first response facilities to receive and triage babies who might otherwise end up in a dumpster or other location after being abandoned. The bill was proposed by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and supported by the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma. Once installed, these baby boxes will be similar to boxes in other states.
Baby boxes are designed to work in conjunction with Oklahoma’s current Safe Haven law as an incentive for mothers in crisis to safely relinquish their babies to designated locations where the babies are protected and provided with medical care until a permanent home is found.
Safe Haven laws generally allow the parent, or an agent of the parent, to remain anonymous and to be shielded from criminal liability and prosecution for child endangerment, abandonment or neglect in exchange for surrendering the baby to a safe haven.
Installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital, these high-tech boxes have an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn, triggering a silent alarm, and alerting trained medical personnel to secure the surrendered newborn from inside the designated building.
The Safe Haven Baby Box organization, a nonprofit based out of Indiana, staffs a 24-hour hotline (866-99BABY1) to give women the opportunity to talk to a trained professional as they consider safely surrendering their baby.
Since the first baby box was installed in 2016, 113 babies have been surrendered: 11 inside the boxes, two at a fire station and 100 surrenders resulting from calls to the Safe Haven Baby Box national hotline.
The bill increased relinquishment rights of women from the first seven days after giving birth, to the first 30.
Patrick Raglow, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, said overall, even if a small number, baby boxes recognize that some women feel overwhelmed by their situation as new moms.
As a result, children are abandoned every year, some in parking garages, airport restrooms, dumpsters and worse, Raglow explained.
“The Baby Box gives these moms who are under stress an ability to surrender their child lovingly, knowing there will be no questions asked and the child will be joined with an adoptive family who has been praying for just such an opportunity; to love this little child into family and life and opportunity,” Raglow said. “It turns tragedy to opportunity, abandonment to life-giving surrender.”
Monica Palmer, senior director of Licensed Services, which oversees counseling and adoption services for Catholic Charities, said reports of infant abandonment and death of infants from abandonment continue throughout the United States.
“Only 10 states in the country have a baby box allowance,” Palmer said. “The additional allowance now in place here in Oklahoma for a mother experiencing a crisis pregnancy to surrender her infant in a baby box, and with anonymity, can prove to be a game changer.”
Palmer said women who are unable to raise and care for their child are often harshly judged by others. In an effort to broaden the window of protection for women, the new law expanded the umbrella of legal protection for women from the first seven days of life to the first 30.
“The stigma associated with surrendering a child that a parent experiences alongside fear of prosecution are common due to lack of understanding by the general public,” Palmer said. “Keep in mind that the baby box option is hopefully the last option rather than a parent’s first option as we would like to see the birthparent receive supportive counseling and assistance both for her rights and her and the baby’s overall health.”
Advocates for the law argued that without the law for baby boxes, a face-to-face surrender forces the birthmother to answer to “someone,” ultimately deepening the oftentimes present feelings of guilt and shame around her decision – a decision Palmer said often is burdened with heavy and complex layers of financial, emotional and relational stressors.
“Mothers in crisis pregnancies deserve anonymity and protection under the law as their courageous decision to carry an infant to term is to preserve a life,” she said.
Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, said they experienced overwhelming bipartisan support for the measure. Farley said this is a “win-win” for both sides and a “huge opportunity” to reiterate that the pro-life movement does not stop with the birth of a child, but supports and encourages the woman and child after birth by providing opportunities for women in education, transportation, health care and in every area where a person needs support.
“We are encouraging life in every respect,” Farley said.
Aimee Ryan, LCSW, director of social work and the adoption coordinator for Catholic Charities, said extending the length of legal protection for women is important, citing postpartum depression and lack of support, among other factors, that cause women to relinquish.
Ryan said the installation of baby boxes provides an additional resource for women, some of whom may be panicking due to a lack of diapers, car seat or other material need. The hotline can be a lifeline for women who desire to keep their child but need a little help.
“If helping a mom get a car seat means the baby is taken care of and the mom is happy, we have done our job,” Ryan said. “If she still needs to place her baby for adoption, we also help her with that.”
For more information, contact Monica Palmer at (405) 523-3000.
Eliana Tedrow is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Photos Safe Haven Baby Boxes
