First TN Newborn In Baby Box Surrender Heads To Foster Care Before Adoption Process Begins

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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

The Knoxville Fire Department heard their very first “Baby Box Alert” sound early Saturday morning.

The Baby Box was installed back in February at Station 17 on Western Avenue. This is the first Baby Box to be installed in the Knoxville area, allowing individuals an opportunity to anonymously surrender unwanted children.

On Saturday, a newborn boy was anonymously surrendered, with the alarm sounding three minutes after the baby was placed in the box.

“It’s huge. It’s the first baby in the state of Tennessee that has been surrendered into a baby box,” said Mark Wilbanks, a spokesperson for KFD. “We’re checking some very basic vitals on the baby, making sure that they’re breathing appropriately, part of the basic care of a newborn would be making sure that the baby is warm and dry.” 

According to Wilbanks, all Knoxville firefighters receive training in basic and advanced pediatric care and are also trained on how to use a baby box.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes says the surrendered newborn will undergo medical testing before being placed in state foster care. He will then remain in the state foster care program for 45 days until the state is able to terminate parental rights. Once that process is complete, he will then be placed with an adoptive family.

Senator Richard Briggs (R-District 7-Knoxville), who lead the efforts to install a Baby Box in Knoxville, says, “This is an alternative to tossing a baby in a dumpster, leaving it in a backpack, and putting it down or on a riverbed. It worked perfectly, the way it was intended to work.” 

According to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, around 80% of children adopted from foster care are adopted by their foster parents. Those families are given first choice when adopting the child because the children have already spent time with and bonded with the family.