SYLACAUGA, Ala. — Sylacauga is moving forward with plans to install a Safe Haven Baby Box at the city fire department, giving parents in crisis a legal, anonymous way to safely surrender a newborn.
The project is a partnership between the city and ACT Families, a local community service effort founded by Sylacauga resident Peyton Crist. The Sylacauga City Council approved the installation on April 21 with a 4-0 vote, and contracts were signed the following week to begin the process.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are designed to be built into an exterior wall and temperature-controlled. When a newborn is placed inside and the door closes, a silent alarm alerts trained personnel, who can retrieve the infant from inside the building and arrange medical care.
The move comes under Alabama’s Safe Haven law, which was expanded in 2023 through House Bill 473. The law gives parents a legal way to safely surrender a newborn at designated locations, including certain staffed fire stations, without fear of prosecution.
Organizers say the Sylacauga box will serve families in Talladega, Coosa, Clay and surrounding counties. ACT Families is raising money to cover installation, monitoring, maintenance and staff training costs.
There are already Safe Haven Baby Box locations in Alabama, including one in Madison, and local officials say the Sylacauga project would add another option for parents facing an emergency.