BLACKFOOT, Idaho — The baby girl who was left dead in the Safe Haven Baby Box in Blackfoot Oct. 13 marked the first time the box had been used.
That wasn’t for its intended purpose, either. Grove Creek Medical Staff found the baby within one minute of her being placed in the box, and they said she had already been dead for some time.
“The situation that's in the media right now was an abandonment, and it was not a safe surrender,” said Hailey Dahle, Grove Creek Medical staff member.
Idaho passed legislation to allow Safe Haven boxes in 2024, which states a Safe Haven box can be used if the baby is under 30 days old, the custodial parents drop the baby off and they have no intent to get the child back.
“This is a last resort option for parents,” said Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. “So if they can't do a parenting plan, or they can't do an adoption plan, and they can't walk into that facility and hand that child to a person, we want them to choose a safe haven baby box and save the life of their child.”
Senator Julie VanOrden worked on the bill to allow Safe Haven boxes in Idaho. The first one went in in Blackfoot at the Grove Creek Medical Center, and it is the only one in the state of Idaho.
“The boxes are to there to receive healthy, live, unharmed infants,” VanOrden said.
Even though it is the only designated box in Idaho, Dahle said any 24/7 monitored facility can be used as a Safe Haven facility. The box is not monitored by cameras, as it is meant to be a safe, anonymous way for a parent to safely drop a child off if they feel they cannot care for the child.
“We want to have a place for those scared, oftentimes young moms to be able to take a baby, and pretty much give this child up for adoption, because they know that that's probably a better option than anything that they could give to that child at that point,” VanOrden said.
Any parent who is in crisis can call or text 1-866-99BABY1.