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

Your Guide to Adoption Agencies in Texas

While Safe Haven baby boxes in Texas provide legal protection, they don't give you any say in your baby's future.

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Your Guide to Adoption Agencies in Austin

Your Guide to Adoption Agencies in Dallas

Your Guide to Adoption Agencies in Fort Worth

If you’re not ready to parent, you might be researching Safe Haven baby boxes as a solution.

The weight of making this decision can be overwhelming. Many women have felt like they have nowhere else to turn. But you’re not alone, and you still have options.

In this guide, we’ll explain how Safe Haven baby boxes work in Texas and why private adoption may be the better path forward. If you need help now, call 1-800-236-7846 or fill out our online form.

How Do Safe Haven Baby Boxes Work in Texas?

Safe Haven baby boxes are anonymous surrender locations where you can safely leave your newborn without facing legal consequences.

Here’s how to use one:

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.

These specially designed boxes are located at select fire stations and hospitals throughout Texas. You won’t get in trouble for using a baby box as long as your infant is 60 days old or younger and unharmed.

Still, it’s important to know what happens after you place a baby in the box: The state assumes custody, and your baby is placed into foster care. You will not know who raises your child or whether they are adopted into a safe, loving home.

What Adoption Agencies Can Offer That Safe Haven Baby Boxes Can’t

You can still legally give up a baby anonymously through a licensed adoption agency — but with far more support and control.

Here’s what you get when you choose adoption:

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 use a Safe Haven box, none of that is possible. The baby goes straight into foster care, and your role ends the moment you close the door.

If you want to keep your baby safe and choose their future, you may want to consider adoption. Here’s how the process works in Texas.

Emergency Adoption Options: How Agencies Can Help Right Now

Even if you’ve already given birth, you can still choose adoption. Licensed agencies can step in immediately and help you create a last-minute adoption plan.

Here are adoption agencies in Texas that can support you right now:

American Adoptions of Texas (Abilene, Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Brownsville, Burleson, Conroe, Corpus Christi, Cypress, Deer Park, Denton, El Paso, Fort Worth, Garland, Georgetown, Houston, Irving, Katy, League City, Lewisville, Lubbock, Midland, Plano, Richardson, San Angelo, San Antonio, Sherman, Southlake, Sugar Land, Tyler, Waco): This national agency offers free, 24/7 support through their hotline. You can speak directly with a counselor who will walk you through your options with zero judgment.
Adoption Answers Inc. (Fort Worth): The team at this agency understands the unique challenges facing women in crisis pregnancies and works quickly to provide the resources and support needed.
Gladney Center for Adoption (Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Midland): Gladney Center for Adoption has a long history of helping expectant parents. The agency can facilitate rapid family matching when time is limited.
Lifetree Adoption Agency (Dallas): This agency offers custom adoption plans and ongoing support through every step. Staff members work with expectant parents facing urgent situations to provide immediate assistance.

Understanding Safe Haven Laws in Texas: What You Should Know

Texas’s Safe Haven law protects you from prosecution if your baby is 60 days old or younger and unharmed.

You can legally leave your baby with an employee at a:

Hospital
Fire station
EMS station
Or place them in a newborn safety device (baby box)

You may be asked for medical or family history, but you aren’t required to share anything. If you leave your baby at a fire or EMS station, they may be taken to a hospital for care.

Where Is the Closest Safe Haven Baby Box in Texas?

Searching for a Safe Haven baby box near you? Here’s where Safe Haven baby boxes are located in Texas:

Woodlands Fire Department Station 6 (Woodlands)
Abilene Fire Department Station 7 (Abilene)
Ennis Fire Station 3 (Ennis)
Corsicana Fire Department Station 2 (Corsicana)
Covenant Children’s Hospital (Lubbock)

Understanding the Consequences of Using a Baby Box or Safe Haven Location in Texas

Safe Haven is legal and anonymous, but there are long-term consequences. Here’s what happens:

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.

While Safe Haven laws protect you from criminal prosecution, they don’t provide the support services that many women need during this difficult time. You won’t receive counseling, medical assistance or help processing the emotional aspects of your decision. The anonymous nature of Safe Haven surrender also means you’ll carry questions about your child’s welfare for the rest of your life.

With adoption, you stay in control and give your child the life you hope for.

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

Many expectant parents feel adoption is better than Safe Haven because it gives them the power to actively shape their children’s futures rather than leaving it to chance.

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.

Your baby will go directly to a carefully screened, prepared family who has been waiting and planning to provide a loving home. These families have undergone extensive background checks and preparation to ensure they can provide what your child deserves.

And with a semi-open or open adoption, you can still be part of your baby’s life. You can receive updates about their growth and milestones and even maintain ongoing contact as they grow up.

What is Open Adoption?

How Private Adoption Agencies Keep Your Information Confidential

Worried about privacy? That’s okay.

With private adoption, you can remain anonymous while still shaping your baby’s future. Your identifying information is kept confidential. You can choose what you want to share and what level of ongoing contact feels comfortable.

Unlike Safe Haven surrender, which offers complete anonymity but no control, adoption agencies provide a middle ground.

FAQ About Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Texas

What Makes Safe Haven Boxes Safe for Babies?

They have temperature control, ventilation and lock automatically. A silent alarm alerts staff and 911 when the box is used.

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

Generally, no. Once you surrender your baby, the state assumes custody.

Can Safe Haven Babies Be Adopted?

Possibly. They typically enter foster care and may be adopted through the state. You don’t get to choose who adopts them.

Is There a Safe Haven Baby Box Age Limit in Texas?

Yes. Your baby must be 60 days old or younger.

What Does a Safe Haven Box Look Like?

It usually says “Safe Haven Baby Box Drop Off.” The door opens from the outside, and there is a bassinet-style bed inside.

What You Do Next Matters — An Agency Can Help

You still have time to give your baby a better life.

We’re here to support you and help you understand all your options.