Baby girl surrendered in Racine's Safe Haven Baby Box placed with family

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A baby girl dropped off at a Racine fire station has been placed with a family we're told will be adopting her.

A Safe Haven Baby Box and first responders made it happen.

The founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes tells us the box behind Racine Fire Station 4 was used by someone last week to anonymously drop off a baby girl less than a day old, and firefighters and paramedics acted quickly. 

"I hope that they can see that there's hope on the other side of the box," said Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder and CEO Monica Kelsey.

A Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in Racine in December of 2024, the third in Wisconsin at the time. Less than a year later, it served its purpose. 

"This little girl is going to grow up knowing she's got some grandpas and some uncles and some aunts at a firehouse that loved her before anyone did," Kelsey said. 

Dispatchers were automatically alerted when the baby was placed in the box. It automatically locked, and staff from the fire station quickly took the baby to the hospital. 

"The average time for babies in our boxes are right at or about two minutes," Kelsey said. "I think it was less than that for Racine, so that baby was not in this box for very long."

After the surrendered infants are medically evaluated, they are placed in state foster-to-adopt programs.

"I believe that the baby has already been released to the family that will be having this baby for the rest of their lives," Kelsey said. 

Monica Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes 10 years ago as a last resort, and a safe one, for those who cannot care for a newborn. 

She hopes its first use in Wisconsin will bring more awareness to them. 

"We're not telling you to use them," Kelsey said. "We're telling you that if you find yourself in a situation that you need to use them, that this is an option for you."

And to whoever made the tough decision to surrender the baby, she says, "Thank you. Thank you for trusting the fire department to take it from here."

Right now, there are seven Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Wisconsin and just shy of 400 across the country. 

Kelsey says 70 newborns have been surrendered to baby boxes in the US in the last eight years.