Safe Haven Baby Box Unveiled in Madison

The Madison site is the 54th Safe Haven Baby Box available in the United States.

State Rep. Randy Frye, Amy Arbuckle, Carol Dozier (KDH President/ CEO), and Yvonne Davis at The KDH Facility in Madison. Photo By Kacie Jackson. 

(Madison, Ind.) – On December 18, a blessing ceremony for the new Safe Haven Baby Box took place in Madison.

“I often say that some of the best ideas don’t come from City Hall, but from the community,” stated Mayor Bob Courtney. “This baby box will not only benefit the community of Madison but all of Jefferson County as well as surrounding counties and communities.”

Safe Haven Baby Boxes in collaboration with King’s Daughters’ Health is now able to provide mothers with crisis pregnancies the opportunity to anonymously surrender their babies.

With the help of donations and blessings from community members such as Yvonne Davis, Frank Hayes, John Morgan, and the Madison Rotary Club, and many more, the organizers of the Madison Mission Mary Beth Boone and Amy Arbuckle were able to make the baby box come to fruition.

Davis, Hayes, and Morgan were all presented ‘Humanitarian Awards’, their plaque read,”

“For the love of babies and for impacting lives for future generations with the deepest appreciation and gratitude, from the Madison Mission.”

The Madison site is the 54th Safe Haven Baby Box available in the United States. Monica Kelsey, the founder of the Safe Haven Baby Box Inc., who was abandoned as an infant by her 17-year-old mother is now committed to raising awareness of the Safe Haven Law.

“This is a great resource for not only Madison but the surrounding communities,” said Chanel Cunningham, Director of Programs and Administration for Safe Haven. “Legislation has yet to pass for allowing baby boxes to be installed in Kentucky.”

The Safe Haven Law allows a person to surrender a healthy newborn 30 days old or younger without fear of criminal prosecution. Indiana is one of five states with updated Safe Haven laws to offer a completely anonymous option in an effort to eliminate infant abandonment.  Ten infants have been placed in a Safe Haven Baby Box, with six occurring in 2020.

State Representative Randy Frye spoke at the ceremony recalling a conversation that he once had with Vice President Mike Pence, where Pence said “Randy if we are truly pro-life, we must give women in crisis pregnancies an option.” State Representative Frye went on to say, “that is what you did today here in Madison, you gave those mothers an option.”

Founder of He Knows Your Name Ministry, Linda Znachko, spoke on why baby boxes mean so much to her.

Znachko stated that in December of 2014 she claimed the body of an abandoned infant that was found by a hiker.

“I called the coroner when I saw the news story and I asked if I could claim that baby because they did not have any way of determining who the mother was,” said Znachko “I named her Amelia, when I went to bury her I invited the community to come.”

It was at the funeral, Znachko met Monica Kelsey, and it was there that Kelsey shared her passion for the Safe Haven Baby Boxes with Znachko.

The two then came together to help Amelia’s legacy live on through the baby boxes.

“Amelia’s footprint is now on the logo of the Safe Haven Baby Boxes, and her legacy is changing the world,” said Znachko.  

Safe Haven Baby Boxes also provides a national 24-hour hotline (1-866-99BABY1) that offers counseling services to a parent who is unable or unwilling to care for their newborn.

Community Members Gather To Bless the Baby Box

Pastor From Local Chuch, Chanel Cunningham, and Linda Znacko Pray Over Baby Box.