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Last week Students for Life Action announced its agenda for 2026 and its nationwide 47-day lobby day to push it through. You can read their press release and schedule here. SFLA is a long-time supporter and promoter of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, so it’s no surprise that abandonment boxes are included in this year’s rollcall:
SFLA will be distributing an innovative package of model legislation addressing the cutting edge of policy. The bills include:
- Anti-Chemical Abortion Pills Trafficking Act
- Clean Water for All Life Act
- Defunding Planned Parenthood Act
- Ending Chemical Abortions Act
- Life at Conception Act
- Protecting Women from Abusers Act
- Safe Haven Security & Adoption Act
The Safe Haven Security & Adoption Act which, as far as I can tell, has not been introduced much less mentioned anywhere outside of the SFLA website and behind closed doors in Woodburn, Indiana, and elsewhere
… mandate[s] a newborn safety device be installed in a hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency. As well as model legislation for Safe Haven Babies Go to Adoption, which would add that the Department of Health and Welfare must maintain a list of licensed adoption agencies for placing abandoned children and transfer custody to a selected agency within 24 hours.”
The description is vague, but the shorthand is clear: turn safe haven drop-offs and baby box deposits over to private adoption agencies where they can be auctioned off for $20,000-$60,000–with no accountability or transparency. States such as Illinois, Florida, and Michigan already assign babies to private agencies for placement (note: this was never part of the OG safe haven grassroots advocacy, but the work of politicians), and I believe that most states still go with an appropriate state agency.
Private adoption agencies in Michigan have been the biggest beneficiary of this state gift /grift with nearly 400 babies (nearly all born in hospitals to identified parents). processed into the system. Our research indicates that two-thirds of these babies were transferred into 2 private hands– Adoption Associates and Bethany Christian Services–the other third spread out. Do the math!
Indiana took this baby distribution scheme. a step further. In 2023, the legislature passed HB 345 (coined as Adoption-in -a-Box by Adoptee Rights Law Center director Greg Luce) which allows (but not mandates) that boxes be sent to a state-approved private agency of the of box location’s choice–and that the case does need not to be reported to the state! According to news stories, 1 and possibly 2 Indiana babies have been trafficked through this private system. Even SHBB Inc CEO/Founder Monica Kelsey momentarily questioned this contemporary form of baby usury, but lately seems back on track,
Is this a federal or state project or both? Gotta cover the all the angles! I just asked on the SFLA-FB where I can find the SH model legislation. I won’t hold my breath. The organization doesn’t seem to post any of its model legislation and has no search box on its website. Gee, why would that be?
If you see this atrocity show up in your state, let us know.
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