Safe Haven Baby Boxes and A Safe Haven for Newborns are two charities with similar names and the same goal: to provide mothers in need with a safe place where deliver your unwanted newbornsinstead of leaving them in the trash or on the side of the road.
But the Florida Senate is buzzing a fight between both. An existing state law, supported and promoted by the Miami-based organization A Safe Haven for Newborns, allows parents to hand newborns over to firefighters and hospital workers without giving their names.
A new bill, backed by Indiana-based Safe Haven Baby Boxes, would give fire stations and hospitals the ability to install the group’s ventilated, air-conditioned boxes, where parents they may leave their children without interacting with firefighters or hospital employees.
The bill recently passed unanimously in the Florida House of Representatives but is at risk of being stalled in the Senate, where it could be considered this week.
Opponents of the proposal call it expensive, useless and potentially dangerous for children, mothers, firefighters and hospital workers. Each side accuses the other of being economically motivated.
The fight is receiving further attention because Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-dominated Florida Legislature are expected soon to ban abortions performed more than six weeks after conception, lowering the current state limit by 15 weeks.
Recently, legislators in Kansas, Montana, and Mississippi passed similar bills and sent them to the governors of those states for approval. The governor of West Virginia recently signed such a bill into law.
How are the boxes
The boxes were already allowed in nine states, most in the Midwest and South, with the largest numbers in Indiana, Arkansas, and Kentucky, respectively. About 145 boxes have been set up since the first in 2016, with 25 newborns delivered through one, says Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
Only one newborn was abandoned in Florida’s only playpen, installed two years ago in a central Florida fire station without state authorization.
The boxes open from outside the building, allowing parents to place their baby in a crib while a bag with instructions and maternal medical advice drops out. The door locks when closed and the agency receives an electronic notification. Safe Haven Baby Boxes backs it up the average response time is two minutes.
“Giving women the option of (total) anonymity is just that, an option. Why would (naysayers) want to take that away from them?” said the group’s founder, firefighter Monica Kelsey, who was dropped just born and is openly opposed to abortion.
Kelsey accused A Safe Haven for Newborns of fearing the grants would be lost if the boxes were installed, which the group denies.
Republican Representative Jennifer Canady, the lead sponsor of the bill, declined a request to be interviewed. She said in a statement that her bill would be “an important next step in providing lifesaving options and protecting life at every stage.”
Dispute
Joel Gordon, spokesman for A Safe Haven for Newborns and deputy chief of the Fort Lauderdale suburban fire department, suggested Kelsey could benefit from the boxes. The latter denies. The Him Group receives mixed reviews from organizations that oversee charities.
Gordon also said supporters of the bill opposed all amendments that he said would make the boxes safer and the program more viable. At Safe Haven he trains firefighters and hospitals on how to apply the current law.
“It’s no objection to giving the mother as many opportunities as possible to help rescue and save these children. It’s the box itself, and how it’s handled, that concerns us,” Gordon said.
Senate Democratic leader Lauren Book, who is leading opposition to the bill, added, “We can do better than putting babies in boxes. The safe-haven bill that we currently have on the books is working.”
In 2000, Florida became one of the first states to do so allow for the anonymous delivery of babies for adoption to hospitals and fire stations. Under this law, parents can deliver infants up to 7 days of age, no questions asked, as long as there are no indications of neglect or abuse. Since its promulgation370 babies were delivered legallyaccording to Gordon.
The new bill would allow, but not require, firefighters and hospitals to purchase the boxes, which would be leased by Kelsey’s group. They cost around $16,000 installed and there is an annual maintenance and inspection fee of $300, which is paid to Kelsey’s charity. Sometimes the installation and fees are paid for by the donors, he explains.
“Wasn’t that kid (in central Florida) worth the fight we had to keep that box?” he said. I think so”.
Gordon said only five Florida babies have been illegally abandoned since 2018, and in many of the past few years, that number has been zero. She argues that the mother of a born child benefits most from direct interaction with a firefighter or hospital worker, who can assess whether she needs medical or psychological care. That touch also gives her reassurance that her baby is safe, she said.
child safety
Gordon argued that Kelsey’s boxes moreover, they do not comply with the safety standards of public buildings of Florida and would allow those who abused, abducted or trafficked their newborn a way to escape detection.
Gordon and Book also say the boxes give terrorists a place to plant a bomb or toxic substance, endangering firefighters and hospital workers, which Kelsey says has never happened.
“Until it happens,” Book replied. “I want to make sure the people who are there to protect and serve our community are staying safe.”
Book, who was recently arrested for trespassing during a protest against the state’s proposed abortion restrictions, said the box bill is part of a larger effort by DeSantis and the legislative majority to enforce morality. conservative Christian to all Floridians, regardless of their personal beliefs.
“You can’t just watch this piece of politics. You have to watch everything that’s going on, and I’m not going to stand for it,” Book said.
Kelsey accused opponents of “holding on to a straw”. She said that while the abusers must be identified and located, it is in the best interests of children for their parents to give them up before the abuse results in serious injury or death.
If approved, the bill will go into effect on July 1.
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.