The Bernalillo Town Council took a step towards installing a baby box at their March 12 meeting by providing mothers in crisis with a safe and anonymous avenue to surrender their infants.
The council started discussions on an ordinance to adopt Safe Haven Baby Box procedures, hoping to become the eighth municipality in the state with a baby box. Safe Haven Baby Boxes is a non-profit organization offering a secure and legal method for parents to surrender their infants by installing baby boxes in secure locations. The organization was founded by Monica Kelsey in 2015, who was abandoned as an infant.
Last year, Bernalillo Fire and Rescue Lt. Manuel Terrazas and Firefighter Richard Maestas, along with the Local 5334 president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, spearheaded a proposal for a baby box in the town. They submitted a funding application with the help of Bernalillo Mayor Jack Torres and Chief Michael Legendre, which was approved by the state.
“I just like to extend my gratitude to Firefighter Maestas and Lt. Terrazas for all of their hard work and efforts in getting us through baby box funding,” said Legendre. “Without their vision, we wouldn’t have this resource for the community and the surrounding communities.”
In 2022, state legislators allocated $330,000, enough funding to build one baby box in each of the 33 counties in New Mexico. The town secured $10,000 in state funding for the project.
Legendre said he was told the baby box would cost between $16,000 to $20,000, with most of the excess costs coming from fundraising and donations. Safe Haven has said it will contribute significantly to fundraising efforts and social media outreach.
The Safe Haven Baby Box will be installed at the Bernalillo Fire Station, which is on the south side of the Town Hall at 829 Camino Del Pueblo and will be integrated into the exterior wall, allowing discreet surrendering.
According to the Safe Haven Baby Boxes YouTube page, once the infant is placed in the environmentally controlled bassinet which is designed for swift removal by firefighters. The box also automatically locks and then an orange bag containing resources for parent(s) is dispensed, while a silent alarm notifies firefighters after 60 seconds.
According to Legendre, there will also be a communication button available to allow direct contact with the firefighters on duty if desired.
The baby box is designed so that if the parent(s) want to remain anonymous they can. However, according to KOB-TV, once an infant is surrendered, CYFD is legally obligated by state law to investigate and allow the family to reconsider.
According to the proposed Bernalillo ordinance, the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 requires CYFD to “make reasonable efforts to determine whether the infant” is Native American.
“If it is a Native American child, then CYFD has somebody who would contact the pueblo that the child is from and offer adoption to that pueblo first,” said Legendre at the meeting.
Monica Kesley, founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, told KOB that she hadn’t originally considered the reunification law, but that she hopes to change the state law with the help of state legislators.
There are currently baby boxes in Española, Belen, Alamogordo, Roswell, Carlsbad and Hobbs. The Edgewood Commission voted earlier this year to install a baby box at the county fire station.
At the March 25 regular meeting, the council will vote on the final ordinance.
How to participate
The next Town Council meeting is set for Monday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at Town Hall located at 829 Camino del Pueblo.