_(1).png)
The organisation Safe Haven Baby Boxes has had 23 babies 'surrendered' since it was first formed in April 2016.
The company - which was set up by Monica Kelsey - is aimed at preventing the legal abandonment of newborns.
It does this by raising awareness, offering a 24-hour hotline for mums in crisis, and as a last resort, a baby box for women who want to maintain anonymity.
Kelsey set up the organisation after learning she was abandoned as an infant and also seeing these so-called 'baby boxes' in operation in a church in Cape Town, South Africa.
Advert
Safe Haven Baby Boxes' website says that it is Kelsey's 'personal mission' to educate others on the safe haven law - a US law that allows unharmed children under the age of three weeks to be left at a fire station, hospital and other places with no questions asked.
It is essentially in place to ensure that newborns are not abandoned in the cold or dangerous places, which can obviously lead to devastating consequences.
These boxes are climate controlled, so once a baby is surrendered, the box is locked and sends an 'immediate signal' to firefighters to say that a newborn is inside.
Advert
Women who are in a crisis are urged to ring the hotline where they can then be referred to counselling and assistance free of charge.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes say that they have received over 8,000 calls from every state in the US so far and have referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers.
They also claim to have assisted in seven adoption referrals and over 100 legal safe haven surrenders so far.
23 of these have been surrendered in their baby boxes, while three were taken to firefighters at Safe Haven Baby Box locations.
Advert
Recently, a newborn baby was left in a safe haven box in Florida more than two years after it was installed for public use in the state.
Kelsey praised the person who used the box in Florida last week, saying: "The first thing that we want is we want to address the parents who legally surrendered this infant. And right now I’m going to talk directly to her or him.
"Thank you. Thank you for keeping your child safe. Thank you for bringing your child to a place that you knew was going to take care of this child.
Advert
"And thank you for doing what you felt was best. I’m sure this was not an easy option choose, but I want you to know that we’re honouring you today because I hope you find peace in knowing that your child is safe, your child is healthy, and your child will be placed with a set of adoptive parents, if it hasn't already.
"So know that the process has worked and I want you to find peace in what decision you made."
Callum Jones