A newborn infant was saved via a Safe Haven Baby Box in Tennessee, marking a life-saving use of the program designed to prevent infanticide and illegal abandonment.
The baby, believed to be about one month old but maybe younger, was placed in the box at Atoka Fire Station No. 1. An alarm alerted firefighters, who immediately retrieved the infant and provided medical care. The child was found to be in good health.
This was the first use of the Baby Box since its installation in November 2024.
Atoka Fire Chief Bill Scott emphasized the program’s role in protecting vulnerable lives.
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“Just by saving this one life this weekend, it was worth it,” Scott said. “It prevented that child from being found unalive in a dumpster, or in a box on the side of the road. It gave that parent a safe way to be able to surrender that child.”
In a news release, the Atoka Fire Department expressed gratitude for the choice of a legal and anonymous surrender.
“The Atoka Fire Department is grateful that the individual surrendering the child chose a safe, legal, and anonymous option to protect the life of this child,” the statement read. “No identifying information is required when using a Safe Haven Baby Box, and the law protects individuals who safely surrender an infant from criminal prosecution.”
Tennessee law allows parents to surrender unharmed infants up to 45 days old at designated locations, including Baby Boxes, without fear of prosecution.
Similar successes have highlighted the program’s impact in preventing infanticide.
In Nebraska, a baby was safely surrendered at a Baby Box in November 2025, the second such rescue under the state’s expanded law.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen praised such efforts, stating, “We’ve got to do everything we can to protect babies, and we have to step up to help moms in need. … It’s not just that Nebraskans are pro-life, we’re pro-baby — which means being here to help babies and moms who are in tough situations.”
Pro-life advocates view Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a compassionate alternative that spares newborns from tragic endings while offering mothers in desperation a path to preserve life.
