Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Massachusetts: Why Adoption Is the Better Choice

Your Guide to Adoption Agencies in Massachusetts

This guide explains how Safe Haven works and why adoption could be the better choice for you and your child.

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Are you considering a Safe Haven baby box?

You might be scared, overwhelmed and looking for a way to protect your baby. You want to make sure they’re safe, and you want this to be over.

Right now, it may feel like you have no good options. But even in a moment like this, you still have the power to choose a path that gives your baby a future full of love and opportunity.

In this guide, we’ll explain how Safe Haven works in Massachusetts and why adoption may be a better fit. To take your first step, call 1-800-236-7846 or fill out our contact form.

How Do Safe Haven Baby Boxes Work in Massachusetts?

If you’re wondering whether you’ll get in trouble for using a baby box, here’s what you need to know: Safe Haven baby boxes allow a parent to legally and anonymously surrender a newborn. These boxes are typically found at hospitals or fire stations and are available 24/7.

Here’s how to use a Safe Haven box:

At a designated safe haven baby box location, the birth mother can open the exterior access door, place her newborn inside the bassinet, close the door and walk away. The door automatically locks to keep the child safe.

As soon as the door is shut, an alarm is activated that notifies on-site emergency personnel that a baby has been placed inside and a second internal alarm is triggered as a backup to ensure no delay in response.

Trained staff responds immediately, retrieve the baby from the box, and provide medical attention. From there, custody is transferred to the state.

However, there are no Safe Haven baby boxes in Massachusetts. If you want to surrender a baby under Safe Haven law, you must hand them directly to staff at a designated location, such as a hospital, police department or fire station.

You won’t get to choose what happens next. The state will take custody, and your baby will enter foster care.

What Adoption Agencies Can Offer That Safe Haven Law Can’t

You can legally give up a baby anonymously and still choose what happens next. With a licensed adoption agency, you get:

Financial support for housing, groceries, medical care and more.
Adoption planning that puts you in control of the process.
The power to choose your baby’s adoptive family.
Free, 24/7 counseling and guidance from licensed professionals.
Open or semi-open adoption options to stay connected.

When you surrender your baby under Safe Haven law, the state chooses where they go. You won’t know who raises them, where they live or what kind of life they have.

But with adoption, you create a plan that puts your baby in a safe, loving home. You can look through profiles of hopeful parents and pick the family that feels right to you.

Learn more about creating an adoption plan in Massachusetts.

Emergency Adoption Options: How Agencies Can Help Right Now

Even if you’ve already given birth, adoption is still an option.

Here are a few adoption agencies that can help expectant parents in Massachusetts:

American Adoptions: This national agency offers 24/7 support. When you call, you’ll be immediately connected to a specialist who can walk you through your options and provide immediate help.
Full Circle Adoptions (Northampton, Arlington): This Massachusetts-based agency offers compassionate guidance and full adoption planning services.
Alliance for Children (Needham): Alliance for Children provides confidential support and to helps you create an adoption plan that meets your needs.

Understanding Safe Haven Laws in Massachusetts: What You Should Know

Here are the basics of Massachusetts’ Safe Haven law:

Any newborn 7 days old or younger may be relinquished.
You must deliver the baby to a designated facility like a hospital, police station or manned fire station.
You are not required to give your name or any information.
You will not face child abandonment charges as long as the baby is safely surrendered.

After you surrender your baby, the Department of Social Services will place them into foster care. This does not automatically end your parental rights, but it is considered abandonment and allows the state to begin the termination process.

Where Is the Closest Safe Haven Baby Box in Massachusetts?

Are you looking for a Safe Haven baby box near you?

Unfortunately, there are no Safe Haven baby boxes in Massachusetts. The closest ones are located in Pennsylvania:

Lancaster General Hospital (Lancaster, PA)
Penn Highlands Healthcare (State College, PA)
McConnellsburg Volunteer Fire Company (McConnellsburg, PA)

Understanding the Consequences of Using a Safe Haven Location in Massachusetts

If you decide to surrender your child at a Safe Haven location, here is what happens next:

You forfeit all decision making.
The state makes all future decisions about the child’s care, including who will adopt them.
The child enters the state foster care system.
The child may spend weeks, months or even years in foster care before being placed with a permanent family.
Your child’s file is sealed.
This means you will have no way of knowing who adopted your child, you won’t receive updates on your child and they may never know the story behind why they were placed.

You lose all legal rights and will not be involved in your child’s future. If this outcome isn’t what you want for yourself and your baby, you may want to consider adoption instead. You can make a plan that protects your privacy and your child’s future.

You Can Provide a Brighter Future for Your Baby — With the Right Agency

If you’re wondering whether adoption is better than Safe Haven, here’s the truth: Adoption gives you more control, more support and more peace of mind.

Through adoption, you can give your baby:

Your child can grow up in a secure, structured home environment filled with consistency, routine and care.

Adoptive parents go through a rigorous process to be approved to adopt. They’ve waited for the opportunity to love and raise a child, and your baby becomes the center of their world.

Your choice can open doors for your child that might otherwise have been closed. They may one day attend college, travel, receive quality medical care and engage in extracurriculars like music, sports and art.

What’s more, you don’t have to say goodbye forever. By choosing to have an open or semi-open adoption, you can get updates, schedule calls or even visit in person. You can be part of your child’s story.

What is Open Adoption?

How Private Adoption Agencies Keep Your Information Confidential

When you work with a private adoption agency, your information stays confidential. That means you can protect your identity but still choose your baby’s future and stay connected if you want to.

Adoption professionals are trained to handle every situation with care and discretion. Whether you’re concerned about your family finding out or simply need time to process everything, your agency can tailor a plan that fits your needs. You’ll never be pressured to share more than you’re comfortable with.

FAQ About Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Massachusetts

What Makes Safe Haven Boxes Safe for Babies?

They are temperature-controlled, ventilated, lock automatically and trigger silent alarms to notify staff and emergency responders.

Can You Get Your Baby Back After Safe Haven in Massachusetts?

No. Once a baby is surrendered, you typically cannot get custody back. The state will begin termination of your parental rights.

Can Safe Haven Babies Be Adopted?

Possibly. They are placed in foster care and may eventually be adopted, but you won’t get to choose the adoptive family.

Is There a Safe Haven Law Age Limit in Massachusetts?

Yes. The baby must be 7 days old or younger.

What Does a Safe Haven Box Look Like?

A Safe Haven baby box is labeled with a sign that says “Safe Haven Baby Box Drop Off.” It opens from the outside and contains a bassinet-style bed.

What You Do Next Matters — An Agency Can Help

You don’t have to disappear. You can choose privacy and give your child a beautiful life.

Connect with an adoption professional today