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Jacksonville, Florida, City Councilman Rory Diamond has introduced City Council Bill 2026-186 that would appropriate approximately $314,000 (or as much as $600,000 with annual maintenance fees added, according to one report) from the city’s reserve funds to install at least 14 Safe Haven Baby Boxes in the city–1 in each council district. Diamond held a press conference today to explain his plan. This news story includes a video . The Florida Times -Union and Jacksonville Hoodline have more detailed coverage, but no videos.
Remember: SHBB Inc CEO/Founder Monica Kelsey claims that taxpayer money is not used (or is seldom used) t0 pay for boxes, while in fact at least $ 3 million has been paid or pledged by state and local governments throughout the country.
There is no dumpster baby crisis in Jax or even in Florida. No discards have been reported in Duval County, where Jacksonville is located, for 14 years.
According to statistics published on the trad safe haven advocacy organization, A Safe Haven for Newborns website, since 2000, 37 traditional safe haven drop-offs are recorded in Duval County with 3 discards (2007, 2009, 2012).) The organization is scrupulous in its collection of records and neither underplay or exaggerate the number of cases, unlike SHBB Inc, with its reckless inclusion of publicly discarded stillbirths and miscarriages (neither of which we condone) or other book-cooking, when lobbying for legislation and money.
A Safe Haven for Newborns, btw, is a long-time staunch opponent of baby boxes and was instrumental for years in keeping box legislation from passing on the state level.
While we do not grasp the urgency of Diamond’s proposal, Councilman Mike Gay does, saying that the season for Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Jax is upon us:
I can’t think of a more fitting time than this time of year to have this legislation introduced as we remember the crucifixion to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and with that, the protection and sanctity of life.
Florida’s SHBB law went into effect on July 1, 2025, but under Home Rule specifications, several were in operation way before that date. The Ocala MLK First Responder Campus was the first location (2020)) and has hosted the first and only baby catch in the state.(2024)
Bill 2026-186 is scheduled for vote on Apri 14, when council returns for full session after a break. Several council members support passage, and Diamond, apparently unaware of how this all works, says he expects boxes to be installed this summer.
Just think what $600,000 could to do to help real mother sand babies with real problems in Jacksonville, not stick a band-aid (if that) on a fantasy.
We are working with some other organizations and will publish an action alert hopefully tomorrow.
In the meantime check out the Florida State page
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