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

Placing Your Baby for Adoption in Vermont

If you’re in crisis and searching for a Safe Haven baby box in Vermont, you have another choice that gives you more control: adoption.

Get Started

Helpful Information

Giving a Baby Up for Adoption in Vermont [Complete Guide]

Do Birth Mothers Get Paid for Adoption in Vermont?

Looking for Parents to Adopt My Baby in Vermont [Find a Family]

Does everything feel overwhelming right now?

Maybe you’ve already given birth, or your due date is near, and you’re looking for a safe way to move forward. You deserve to know all your choices, including one that allows you to stay in control, receive support and create a better future for your child.

This guide explains how Safe Haven baby boxes work in Vermont and how working with an adoption agency can offer something better. If you want to speak with someone who can walk you through your options, call 1-800-236-7846 or fill out our online form.

How Do Safe Haven Baby Boxes Work in Vermont?

Safe Haven baby boxes are secure, climate-controlled containers where parents can anonymously surrender newborns. These boxes are typically located at hospitals, fire stations or other designated safe locations.

Here’s how they work:

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.

You won’t get in trouble for using a baby box. However, there aren’t any in the state of Vermont. If you want to safely surrender your baby, you must bring them to a designated Safe Haven location and hand them to a staff member.

Once the baby is surrendered, the state will take custody and begin the adoption process. You won’t get to choose the adoptive parents, and you won’t have the option to maintain contact.

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

If you’re wondering how to legally give up a baby anonymously, both Safe Haven and adoption make this possible. But only adoption through an agency gives you real control, support and a voice in your baby’s future.

With adoption, 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.

Private adoption agencies put you in the driver’s seat. You get to review profiles of pre-screened families and choose the adoptive parents based on your preferences and values. Many agencies also provide comprehensive support services, including counseling, medical care, living expenses and legal representation at no cost to you.

Learn more about giving your baby up for adoption in Vermont.

Emergency Adoption Options: How Agencies Can Help Right Now

Even if you’ve already had the baby or are close to your due date, you still have time. Adoption agencies can act fast, providing emergency help and personalized support.

Here are a few adoption agencies that work with expectant parents in Vermont:

American Adoptions: This national agency provides 24/7 support through a free hotline. You can talk to a licensed adoption professional right away with no judgment and no pressure.
Friends in Adoption (Castleton): This Vermont-based agency offers compassionate support and customized adoption planning.
Lund (Burlington): A well-known Vermont nonprofit, Lund supports women before, during and after the adoption process with counseling and case management.

Understanding Safe Haven Laws in Vermont: What You Should Know

The Safe Haven law in Vermont allows you to surrender your baby safely and legally. Here’s what you need to know:

The baby must be 30 days old or younger. You will not face arrest or charges if the baby has not been abused or neglected.
You (or someone acting on your behalf) must hand the baby to staff at a Safe Haven location. The locations include police and fire stations, healthcare centers, houses of worship, adoption agencies or places where 911 responders agree to meet.
Depending on where you bring your baby, you may be offered medical help, counseling or other support. You may accept or decline that help.
Once you safely turn over your baby, you are free to leave.

The Department for Children and Families (DCF) will take custody and place the baby in a pre-adoptive home. They will then start the legal process to terminate parental rights and place the baby for adoption.

Where Is the Closest Safe Haven Baby Box in Vermont?

Wondering where Safe Haven baby boxes are located? The truth is, there are no Safe Haven baby boxes in Vermont.

The closest boxes 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 Vermont

Surrendering your baby to a Safe Haven location is permanent. Here’s what that means:

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.

Unlike private adoption, Safe Haven surrender typically results in no ongoing contact or information about your child’s well-being. Once the legal process is complete, you generally cannot receive updates about your baby’s development, health or happiness.

That loss of connection can be hard. But there’s another way.

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

Is adoption better than Safe Haven? If you want to choose your baby’s family, stay informed and possibly stay in touch, then yes.

With 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.

With a semi-open or open adoption arrangement, you can still be part of your baby’s life in whatever way feels comfortable for you. You can see them grow and thrive, celebrate their milestones and explain why you made the decision you did when they’re old enough to understand.

Many expectant parents find that open adoption helps them process their decision and move forward with confidence. Learning more about open adoption options can help you understand how this arrangement might work for your specific situation.

What is Open Adoption?

How Private Adoption Agencies Keep Your Information Confidential

Privacy concerns often lead expectant parents to consider anonymous surrender options. However, private adoption agencies protect your confidentiality while giving you control over your baby’s future.

Private adoption agencies protect your identity. You decide what to share with the adoptive family and how much future contact you want. Depending on your vision of the future, you could choose to receive occasional updates, plan regular calls or schedule in-person visits.

FAQ About Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Vermont

What Makes Safe Haven Boxes Safe for Babies?

They include temperature control, ventilation, auto-lock doors and silent alarms that notify staff and emergency services right away.

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

Possibly. Call 1-800-241-0891 as soon as possible. The Department for Children and Families will explain your options. If your child has already been adopted, you may not be able to have contact until they are an adult.

Can Safe Haven Babies Be Adopted?

Possibly. They typically enter foster care and may become eligible for adoption, but you won’t be part of the process.

Is There a Safe Haven Law Age Limit in Vermont?

Yes. The baby must be 30 days old or younger.

What Does a Safe Haven Box Look Like?

It usually has a labeled door that opens from the outside and contains a bassinet-style bed inside.

What You Do Next Matters — An Agency Can Help

You don’t have to disappear, and you don’t have to face this alone.

You can give your baby a beautiful life. Reach out now to get the help and answers you need.