Rowlett has become the first city in Dallas County to install a Safe Haven Baby Box, providing parents in crisis with a legal and anonymous option to surrender a newborn under Texas’ Safe Haven law. The temperature-controlled baby box was installed at Rowlett Fire Station No. 1 on July 21 and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Safe Haven Baby Box allows a parent to place a newborn inside the box from outside the building without revealing their identity. Once the exterior door is closed, it automatically locks and triggers a silent alarm that alerts firefighters and paramedics, who retrieve the child within minutes, according to Safe Haven Baby Boxes, a national nonprofit that installs the devices and operates a 24-hour crisis hotline for parents in distress.
Nurse and mother Sarah McDermott led the effort to bring the project to Rowlett, which involved months of fundraising and collaboration with local donors, city officials, and community partners. “Rowlett is a community that cares for its people at every stage of life,” said Mayor Jeff Winget, highlighting the box as a compassionate and lawful option for parents facing difficult circumstances.
Following the box’s installation, public responses have been mixed, with some critics questioning the need for baby boxes and suggesting they might encourage abandonment. McDermott attributes much of the criticism to misunderstandings about the program, noting that many learn about the organization only after a baby box is established. She emphasized that the boxes are intended as a last resort for parents who believe they have no other safe alternatives, rather than a solution or encouragement to abandon infants.
“This isn’t about encouraging someone to abandon their baby,” McDermott said. “It’s about making sure that if someone reaches that point, the baby survives.” She explained that reasons for surrendering a child can vary widely, including fear, overwhelming circumstances, or lack of knowledge about available resources.
Under Texas law, parents can surrender unharmed infants aged 60 days or younger to designated emergency providers without facing prosecution, provided the child has not been abused or neglected. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services oversees the Safe Haven law, which seeks to prevent unsafe abandonment. However, abandoning a child outside of the designated process carries serious legal penalties, including felony charges depending on intent and the child’s safety risk.
According to the National Haven Alliance, a nonprofit focused on preventing infant abandonment, 33 babies have been saved this year through safe haven provisions. Since 1999, over 5,400 children have been safely surrendered, and more than 1,360 callers received assistance through the alliance’s crisis hotline in 2025.
McDermott, who is raising two young children of her own, said her perspective changed after learning about infant abandonment and the Safe Haven initiative. “When you become a parent, you look at these situations differently. They’re babies,” she said. Her goal is to raise awareness so that parents in crisis know there is a safe alternative and to reduce stigma surrounding the issue.
“If people are talking about it, they’re learning,” she added. “And if they’re learning, maybe someone who needs help one day will know there’s another choice.”