Safe Haven Baby Box Now Available at Memorial
After extensive planning and testing, the Safe Haven Baby Box at Memorial is now available to the community!
On Monday, August 19, 2024, Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey visited campus to bless the box with elected officials from the City of Gulfport, Memorial Health System Board of Trustees members, hospital administration and Memorial team members.
The address for Memorial Hospital Gulfport is 4500 13th Street in Gulfport, Mississippi. The box is located on the eastern side of campus near the East Tower Entrance and Wound Care parking lot. The box is directly connected to Memorial’s Security Office.
An anonymous – and safe – surrender option
The mission of Safe Haven Baby Boxes is to educate people about the Safe Haven Law in each state. In Mississippi, the Safe Haven Law Bill allows for parents or guardians to surrender a newborn safely without the fear of prosecution if the child is 45 days or younger.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes take the face-to-face interaction out of infant surrender and protect the parent from being seen (shbb.org). When a baby is placed in the box, multiple alarms are sounded to alert the first response personnel. In addition to baby boxes, the organization provides a confidential National Hotline, 1-866-99BABY1. Seventeen states have a Baby Box presence within their state.
Memorial Hospital Foundation provided funding for this project, Vice President of General Counsel Haley Zelenka sponsored the bassinet, the Memorial Engineering Team supported its construction and installation, and the Safe Haven Baby Box project committee was spearheaded by Director of Clinical Support Services Lindsey Green.
Driving forces
Memorial Registered Nurse Caitlin Kelly and Nurse Practitioner Steve Kelly were a driving force in securing the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Mississippi by educating our lawmakers about the importance of changing the Safe Haven law. Now, parents in our state can safely surrender their newborns who are 45 days or younger without the fear of prosecution. We appreciate the care you provide each day and the passion that you have for the smallest residents in our community. Read more about their advocacy here.
Supporting the Coast’s most vulnerable
From 2022 to 2023, Memorial saw a delivery rate increase of 34%, reflecting the trust our community has in us. The addition of a Safe Haven Baby Box as an anonymous surrender option will allow more parents to choose safety for their child. Memorial is honored to offer this option to demonstrate our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of
Since 2017, 50 infants have been safely and legally surrendered in a Baby Box. The National
Safe Haven Crisis line has assisted with over 150 handoff surrenders. Each year the numbers
increase with more baby boxes available across the country. Surrendered infants are adopted
by families who have registered as foster to adopt. The Local Department of family services
coordinates the adoption process.