Since 2022 Alabama has been operating in the Godly manner of having a total abortion ban. For many women in the state, though, it also means being forced to make a tough decision; keep a child they didn’t plan for/cannot take care of, or give the child up for adoption. While never a light decision to make, they make the decision knowing full well what the outcomes will look like.
However, life happens. Suddenly their support system turns tail and runs off, their parents disown them, or they simply figure out motherhood is not for them on their own. In these instances, having a safe place to leave the child is crucial; especially for those who are newborn and may have been born in a park, car, or some other secretive location. Sadly, this means babies being tossed in the trash, left in the woods, or tossed aside like they mean nothing.
Now Madison, Alabama has the state’s first drop box for babies.
Installed at Madison Fire Station One, the box is a genius idea. Called the Safe Haven Baby Box, it allows parents to open the door to an incubator for the baby and leave them behind safe and sound. The door will automatically lock to keep the child safe, and a time-delayed alarm will trigger to alert fire officials on the scene. With the delay, the parent has a chance to get away anonymously, and the child is guaranteed to be kept safe.
As local affiliate WAFF48 noted, “The non-profit group Kids to Love spearheaded a bill that passed the Alabama legislature this year, allowing baby boxes to be installed in the state. It also expanded the state’s Safe Haven Law, allowing mothers to surrender their child up to 45 days.” A tough choice to make for certain, but it gives these unwanted children a chance at life the way God intended.
