The Woodlands Township unveils Save Haven Baby Box in ceremony

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The Woodlands Township hosted an unveiling and blessing ceremony for the country’s first Safe Haven Baby Box, a byproduct of the Safe Haven Law that was passed in 1999 by then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Also originally known as the ‘Baby Moses Law,’ the state’s Safe Haven law allows parents to safely relinquish unharmed infants to designated locations without fear of prosecution for abandonment or neglect. Texas was the first state in the nation to have a law on the books that allowed parents to relinquish custody of a newborn baby anonymously without fear of arrest.

Parents can use the Safe Haven Law, which allows for the safe surrender of a baby up to 60 days old at designated locations like hospitals, fire stations, or EMS stations without facing criminal charges. The Department of Family and Protective Services will then take custody of the child.

The box amusingly resembles a night deposit box at a bank; a large steel door has been integrated into the outside brick wall of Fire Station No. 6., located near I-45 and SH 242. Anyone wishing to leave their child simply approaches the box, opens the door, and places the baby inside. No surveillance cameras are trained on the area, assuring anonymity. Once the outer door is shut again, an alarm sounds throughout the entire building, alerting personnel. Typically, a response will occur within two minutes, even if the station is empty or otherwise engaged and alternate first responders are called. From there, the baby is transported by ambulance to the Montgomery County Hospital District, and eventually Child Protective Services will get involved.

The interior of the box is climate controlled, able to receive both conditioned air from the interior of the station as well as an internal heater to keep the temperature at 85 degrees around the newborn. From the inside, it is not too dissimilar to an incubator station found in most maternity wards.

Woodlands Township Board Member Dr. Shelly Sekula-Gibbs was made aware that last year six local babies were given up under the law, of which four survived. She learned of the Baby Box program, founded in 2017 by CEO Monica Kelsey, who herself was given up as a newborn baby. Sekula-Gibbs immediately started an initiative to get one of the boxes locally – the nearest one in Texas is in Palestine – and enlisted the help of several individuals and organizations, including Shenandoah Mayor John Espito, The Woodlands Fire Chief Palmer Buck, and many more.

“This is a really important event for The Woodlands because we will have the first Baby Box in the Greater Houston area,” Dr. Sekula-Gibbs told Woodlands Online in an exclusive interview. “Last year, there were six baby abandonments in the Harris County area, and two did not survive. This year, if a family is in crisis, they’ll have the opportunity to come to The Woodlands and Fire Station No. 6 and safely, legally, and anonymously surrender the child into the arms of a loving, adoptive family, and that’s a beautiful thing to offer to a mother.”

To date, there are 338 boxes across the nation, and more than 200 women have used the program. Boxes are planned, according to Sekula-Gibbs, for Tomball and Magnolia next.

At the event, Chief Buck welcomed the assembly of more than 100 people who gathered outdoors to mark the occasion. Craig Eissler, vice chairman of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors, was next at the podium. “Your commitment is what makes The Woodlands such a remarkable place to live,” he said.

Landon Reed, representing Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, next read a proclamation. Dr. Sekula-Gibbs then addressed the crowd, telling her personal story about getting involved, then turned the microphone over to Monica Kelsey. The ceremony was concluded when Deacon Joe Mignogna from Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church blessed the box with holy water. Afterwards, the assemblage was allowed inside the station to see the box from the other side of the wall.

Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler was proud to be witnessing this event. “I’m excited that Montgomery County is leading the charge in the greater Houston area to provide a safe place for these mothers to drop these children off without abandoning them somewhere. Any babies’ lives that we can save, that’s a win for the whole community, not for just that child or father or mother, but for the whole community,” he told Woodlands Online in an exclusive interview.

The Safe Haven Baby Box is located at The Woodlands Township Fire Station #6, 1100 Windsor Lakes Blvd. and is available for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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