A bill aimed at funding the installation of baby boxes has made its way to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe’s desk.
The concept behind baby boxes, like those from the Safe Haven Baby Box initiative, is to prevent parents from abandoning their infants in unsafe situations, which can lead to tragic outcomes. These boxes are temperature-controlled incubators integrated into the walls of facilities such as fire stations, police stations, and hospitals. They allow at-risk mothers to safely and legally leave their newborns. Once a baby is placed in the box, the outer door locks, giving the mother time to alert first responders or hospital staff of the baby’s presence. Immediately after, the baby is taken for a wellness check, and typically placed in state custody for adoption.
State Senator Jim Murphy, a Republican from St. Louis, referred to the measure as a “pro-life bill that everyone agrees on.” Initially, the bill faced minimal opposition, but it encountered some resistance in the Senate, where Republican Sen. Mike Moon was the sole dissenting vote, as the measure passed 31-1.
The Senate also amended the bill to increase the tax credit allowance for obstetric housing from 70% to 100%, with limits rising from $50,000 to $100,000 per taxpayer annually. Additionally, the expiration date for the Diaper Bank Tax Credit has been pushed to 2031.
An important aspect of this amendment is the introduction of a “zero-cost adoption fund,” intended to assist residents with adoption expenses while prioritizing families adopting from the foster care system. This funding, managed by the Missouri Department of Social Welfare, aims to bolster community efforts that prevent children from entering foster care.
The cost for installing these neonatal safety incubators is roughly $20,000, typically covered through private donations. Murphy mentioned that there’s significant interest in these boxes across Missouri, including from city officials in Kansas City who seek to establish six more. Brian Hendrix, the chief of the Melville Fire Protection District, noted that his station became home to Missouri’s first Safe Haven Baby Box in 2023 and has received numerous inquiries from other departments about installation possibilities, though funding remains a significant hurdle.
The current budget has allocated $250,000 for this program. The goal is to invest up to $10,000 in each box, aiming to facilitate the installation of 25 more boxes in the upcoming fiscal year.
So far, six baby boxes have been implemented statewide, with four additional boxes in the pipeline through private donations.
Missouri’s legislation, enacted in 2002, permits the safe surrender of infants up to 45 days old at hospitals, fire departments, police stations, and emergency medical services. This law was amended in 2021 to allow for transfers via baby boxes.
Murphy highlighted the unfortunate reality that many babies have been discovered abandoned in unsafe locations like dumpsters. He remarked that the Safe Haven initiative has not worked as effectively as intended.
According to the report, data from the National Safe Haven Alliance indicated that in 2021, 73 infants were abandoned under the Safe Haven Act throughout the United States, with 31 left in perilous situations, resulting in 22 fatalities.
