Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa installs ‘Baby Box’ for safe, anonymous infant relinquishment

Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa now has a secure place where families can legally give up a baby without getting into trouble.

The hospital says the safe haven box will make sure newborns get immediate medical care.

This is thanks to the national nonprofit Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

The box is a ventilated bassinet that is also climate-controlled. Once the baby is placed inside it, the door automatically locks and alerts hospital staff immediately.

The hospital says families are anonymous when they drop a newborn off.

There are security cameras, but they are away from the box, and the alarm will not be heard outside.

The nonprofit behind the box says they hope the program goes nationwide.

"We will be all over the United States. It's our future. But we also go where Christ wants us to go, and we follow his path," said Mariah Betz with Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

Governor Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 9-60, commonly known as the "baby box" bill, into law in 2021. This gives hospitals and first responders the legal authorization to install these types of secure boxes.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes says Oklahoma is one of 20 states that now have this resource.

Every state has a form of a Safe Haven law.

Oklahoma Human Services says our state law allows a child who is 30 days old or younger to be relinquished.

Human Services also says 37 infants have been relinquished to them under Oklahoma's safe haven law over the last decade.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes has a confidential hotline. That number is 1-866-992-2291.