Wyoming's safe haven laws don't allow for complete anonymity in relinquishment of newborns

CASPER — Wyoming state law gives parents 60 days from birth to give up a child without any questions asked. Yet, there is not a single Safe Haven Baby Box in the state. 

That's because Wyoming law requires a child to be physically handed over to another person, said Safe Haven Baby Boxes Founder Monica Kelsey. 

What are safe haven laws?

Safe haven laws allow a newborn to be safely surrendered while protecting the parent from prosecution for neglect. 

Under Wyoming Statute 14-11-102, a "safe haven provider" is any fire station, hospital, police department or sheriff's office that is staffed 24/7. 

Additional places with 24/7 staff may be considered a safe haven for rural areas if identified by the Wyoming Department of Family Services. 

While the state's safe haven statute allows for "complete anonymity," Kelsey said Wyoming actually only allows for confidentiality in practice. 

"Currently in Wyoming, you're allowed confidentiality with a safe haven surrender," Kelsey said. "You're not going to get anonymity. Anonymity means you don't know who they are. You don't know their skin color; you don't know whether they're male or female. You don't know anything about them."

A safe haven provider in Wyoming is required to ask the parent if the child has any tribal affiliation or Native American ancestry. However, the provider must first tell the parent that no information is required to be given. 

Since Wyoming's safe haven law was enacted in 2003, there have been fewer than 10 relinquishments under the law, according to data gathered from the Department of Family Services. 

DFS spokeswoman Kelly Douglas said the department could not give a specific number of safe haven relinquishments to protect privacy since the total number was fewer than 10. 

Douglas said all of the relinquishments occurred between 2015 and 2025. 

The department does not keep record of what type of safe haven was used during those relinquishments. 

What is a Safe Haven Baby Box?

Safe Haven Baby Boxes was created in 2015 by Kelsey. They are two-way boxes placed at a safe haven location, and they provide complete anonymity to the parent, according to the website. 

A parent can open the box, which triggers a silent alarm, and leave the baby inside. The staff can then retrieve the baby from the door located inside the facility.

The boxes are temperature-controlled and lock from the outside once a baby is placed inside.

Kelsey said there are 410 Safe Haven Baby Boxes in operation across 23 states. 

It costs $16,000 initially to install a baby box. Then, it costs around $600 annually to maintain, according to Safe Haven Baby Boxes website. 

What's the big deal?

Kelsey said the boxes are meant for people who are willing to go to extreme measures to relinquish their newborn. 

"Is handing a baby over to a person safer? Absolutely," Kelsey said. "But if she won't do that, if she won't walk into a facility and hand the child to a person, which we're seeing across the country--babies being left at the doors of safe haven locations and locations that don't have baby boxes."

Kelsey said she could install a baby box in Wyoming today, but it would not protect the parent from being charged with abuse or neglect. 

Past legislation

Wyoming has tried to open up the law to allow for Safe Haven Baby Boxes in the past.

However, the bills in 2024 and 2025 were never considered for introduction. Both bills were authored by Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody. 

Those bills would have created a grant program for safe havens to buy baby boxes. They did not amend any part of the already existing safe haven law.

There are no indications the bill will be brought forward this session.

The Star-Tribune reached out to the state Attorney General's Office to ask about the legality of the boxes but did not immediately receive a response. 

In 2024, Wyoming did increase the length of time a parent has to relinquish a newborn. Prior to the 2024 legislative session, a newborn had to be relinquished within 14 days of birth. The 2024 amendment changed it to 60 days after birth. 

This story was published on Feb. 14, 2026.