Marion County, Florida: Taxpayers Expected to Pay for “Free” Safe Haven Baby Boxes

As we know, Monica Kelsey, CEO/founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc is fond of claiming that her baby abandonment boxes come taxpayer-free. That is, they are funded by private donations from individuals, foundations, non-profits, civic organizations, churches, and private businesses. As we have shown for years, this is simply not true.

Take Marion County, Florida.

Monday, (September 29, 2025), the third baby box in the county was opened in Citra. (#380 nationwide (#8 in Florida.) During the ceremony, we learned that from now on every new fire and remodeled station in Marion County are required to include a baby box.

Fire Chief, James Banta, in his opening remarks, told us that within 2 years, Marion County will have 4 baby boxes and “around” a total of 7 in the next 5 years. That comes to $112,000@ $16.000/box (not including other costs). Just for fun, let’s extrapolate into the future.

There are 28 fire stations in Marion County, With 3 down already, 25 stations at some point could be “eligible” for mandated boxes. At the current approximate cost of $16,000/box, this means that local taxpayers could be responsible for paying out a minimum of $400,000 not including other expenses.

So far, Florida has not developed a grant system that lets the state pay at least partial baby box expenses, but down the road, it could. I don’t know how this will play out for future mandated baby boxes in Marion County, except that county, city, or township taxpayers will foot the bill for something currently marketed as “free. ” Of course, each fire station could apply for private non-profit foundation grants, hold bake sales and chicken dinners, and rattle the can door-to-door, but that’s unlikely.

Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter where public funding comes from. SHBB Inc would be taking public money when Mrs Kelsey says it doesn’t.

Below is the SHBB Inc– Facebook video of the Citra event. If you don’t want to watch the entire video, check out Marion County Commissioner Vice Chair Carl Zalak, III, starting at 4:32. This is important. He has no idea what he is talking about…or doesn’t care.

Four Short Comments

• Prior to the passage of HB791, which legalized baby boxes on the state level, Florida had boxes in several locations that were perfectly legal due to Florida’s Home Rule status. Florida’s only baby catch, in fact, came from the MLK First Responder campus box and received international media coverage.
• We have never heard of anyone anywhere being “persecuted” or “prosecuted” following a trad safe haven drop-off. The only exception would occur if a baby arrived in an abused or neglected condition. I know of no state that exempts that type of SH/SHBB case from criminal investigation and prosecution, though anonymity would make it difficult. When a dead newborn was found in a baby box in Blackfoot, Idaho, the cops were all over it.
• What “consequences” is Zalak alluding to? Most, if not all, parents who use trad safe haven or a baby abandonment box suffer psychological and emotional consequences. Is he suggesting–again –that using a trad safe haven plan will carry serious legal consequences outside of the personal? Or is he suggesting that a face-to-face handoff is embarrassing and shameful–as if sneaking around in the middle of the night and dumping a baby in a box doesn’t perpetuate shame.
• By law, no one utilizing a trad safe haven procedure is required to submit any information, personal or otherwise.; though they can also legally offer it voluntarily. SHBB Inc agitprop implies that mothers are coerced into IDing themselves or undergoing some other type of interrogation and investigation. Mrs. Kelsey has posted vague accounts of this happening, but it appears to occur (if it does) when location staff do not understand their state’s safe haven law. If actual prosecutions are taking place–please–somebody–source these cases.

Zalak’s comments are an example of SHBB Inc ‘s campaign of disinformation and ensuing moral panic that has hoodwinked mostly well-intentioned politicians and the public for the last few years into making lifelong harmful band-aid “solutions” for multi-vectored, nuanced social, cultural, and economic problems rooted in misogyny, racism, and financial disparity

Zalak’s comments and the obsession SHBB Inc in general has with Florida, specifically its A Safe Haven for Newborns organization , is just plain weird. The fact is that in the last 5 years, only 4 newborn discards have been reported. Due to ASHN’s vocal opposition to the numerous baby box bills that ran through the legislature until a bill passed this year, it is clear that talk of “prosecution” and “persecution” of mothers and a hostility to face-to-face handovers, Mrs. Kelsey denies, but practices, is the reason for what can kindly be called “BS.” I expect that each new baby box installation will be treated as an SHBB Inc gotcha moment.

I will write more about Florida in the future.

In the meantime, you an find a lot of Florida information on our Florida State page

*Marion County Locations:

• Box 53:  MLK First Responder Campus, Ocala
• Box #312 Marion County Fire Rescue’s Emergency Medical Services station, Ocala
• Box #380 Marion County Fire Station #2, Citra

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Written during London Writers Hour