Union Dedicates First Safe Haven Baby Box in Franklin County
The baby box at the Union Ambulance District station is Missouri's 18th Safe Haven box and the nation's 489th.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Babies
The Union Ambulance District dedicated the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Franklin County, placed on the back side of its station at 211 S. Church St. in Union. It is the 18th Safe Haven Baby Box in Missouri and the 489th in the United States.
Why it matters
Union residents now have a local option for a parent who cannot care for a newborn, where the baby can be surrendered safely without an in-person encounter. Previously the closest boxes were in Eureka, Hermann and Cedar Hill.
The box sits on the back side of the Union Ambulance District station at 211 S. Church St. and includes a bag of resources with a Safe Haven crisis line number. Safe Haven reports 90 babies have been surrendered at baby boxes nationwide, and 225 safe in-person surrenders have been assisted.
The players
Safe Haven Baby Box
A national organization founded by Monica Kelsey that places anonymous infant surrender boxes at fire and ambulance stations across the United States.
Monica Kelsey
The founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, who was inspired to create the program after seeing a similar box in South Africa.
Union Ambulance District
The Union-based emergency medical services district that hosts the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Franklin County.
The details
A mother opens the box door from the outside, and the door locks so the baby is safely inside. An alarm sounds inside the ambulance building, and Franklin County dispatch is alerted; babies are always transported to the hospital. Bombshell Construction and JDS Masonry donated labor to install the box, and a camera on the box cannot see the mother's face.
Timeline
Blessing and dedication of the Union Safe Haven Baby Box took place on November 6, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The Union box extends the Safe Haven Baby Box network, which now totals 489 placements across the United States and 18 in Missouri. Its addition fills a gap in Franklin County that previously required travel to Eureka, Hermann or Cedar Hill.
Parents in Union who are in crisis now have a nearby, anonymous option that avoids an in-person encounter. The crisis line number inside the box connects families to support before or after a surrender.
The takeaway
Anyone who knows a parent struggling with a newborn can share the Safe Haven crisis line information, which is available inside the box itself. Knowing where local options exist can make a critical difference in an emergency.
Further reading
Explore more local Babies coverage to see how families in Union are navigating newborn care resources.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Missourian.
