Yesterday, August 31st, 2026, the first-ever Safe Haven Baby Box in the state of Georgia opened up & became fully functional. Located at a fire station in Ellenwood, Georgia, this Safe Haven Baby Box is a safe and anonymous place to surrender a newborn baby. Keep scrolling to learn more.
What is a Safe Haven Baby Box?
First, you might be wondering: what is a Safe Haven Baby Box? A Safe Haven Baby Box is an anonymous and safe place to surrender a child, at a specific, safe location. The box connects to the outside of a building–in this case, a fire station–and is climate-controlled, and locks from the outside. Once a baby has been safely surrendered inside, alarms will alert first responders to aid the surrendered child.
According to Safe Haven Baby Boxes’s website,
Safe Haven Baby Boxes offer a compassionate and secure option for mothers in crisis who are unable to care for their newborns. Designed with innovative safety features and installed on the exterior walls of fire stations and hospitals, each box ensures the safe and anonymous surrender of infants.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes’ mission is “to prevent illegal abandonment of newborns by raising awareness, offering a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis and offering the Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a last resort option for women who want to maintain complete anonymity.”
You can learn all about Safe Haven Baby Boxes on their website, here.
If you are a parent in crisis, you can call or text their crisis line at 1-866-99BABY1. Find the closest Safe Haven Baby Box on their map, here.
Georgia’s Safe Haven Baby Box is located at a Henry County Fire Department, at 30 Fairview Rd, Ellenwood, GA 30294.
What does this mean for Georgia?
Georgia joins 26 other states that already have Safe Haven Baby Boxes. WXIA Atlanta reports that this is the 468th Safe Haven Baby Box in the country.
All on Georgia reports,
HB 350, which Governor Brian Kemp signed into law earlier this year, allows newborn safety devices to be installed in conspicuous locations that are clearly visible to employees, agents or staff members of the participating facility or station. Each participating location must also have an emergency medical services provider on staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
State Representative Mike Cameron applauded the opening of the new Safe Haven Baby Box, saying,
Seeing Georgia’s first Safe Haven Baby Box become fully operational is an important milestone. The Safe Haven Baby Box provides parents who may find themselves facing a difficult situation with a safe and anonymous way to surrender a newborn, while also helping ensure a safer outcome for the child. I was proud to sponsor House Bill 350 earlier this year, and I am even more grateful to see the legislation move from an idea to a resource that can make a real difference in the lives of Georgia families and newborns. I am hopeful that we will see more Safe Haven Baby Box locations open across the state and that these facilities will help provide a safe option for parents and a safer outcome for newborns who need it most.
You can learn all about House Bill 350 on the Georgia General Assembly’s website, here.