Officials provide update on baby surrendered at Belen fire station
BELEN, N.M. — An infant is safe after someone surrendered him at a metro baby box, according to lawmakers.
The safe haven box was installed at the Belen Fire Department late last year, and it’s the fourth of six baby boxes installed in New Mexico.
“If this parent is out there, I want to say thank you, thank you for keeping your child safe,” said Monica Kelsey, the founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. “Thank you for entrusting the Belen Fire Department and the Belen safe haven baby box to take it from here”
The baby is under 45 days old, which follows state law, and officials say the baby is healthy. They say fire crews responded exactly how they were trained – rescued the baby from the box within two minutes, gave him a check up, took the baby to the local hospital, and surrendered him under the Safe Haven Act.
Kelsey says CYFD is looking for parents for the child.
The baby marks the 41st in the program’s history and is the third baby to be surrendered this year, nationally.
Two years ago, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham set aside $330,000 for every county in the state to install a baby box.
So far, there are five safe haven boxes in the state – in Española, Belen, Alamogordo, Carlsbad, and Hobbs. Roswell was added to that list Wednesday, and Farmington is expected to install one later this month.
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