Kalispell mulls Safe Haven Baby Boxes amid public lobbying effort

Kalispell City Council is weighing whether to install Safe Haven Baby Boxes at fire stations after lobbying from members of the public.  

Residents and anti-abortion advocates during a May Council meeting urged councilors to install the secure, climate-controlled bassinets that allow mothers to safely surrender their newborns anonymously.  

Nonprofit Montanans for Life founder Robin Sertell, who lived in Kalispell until 2020, said her organization has been working with the Montana Legislature to get the devices installed around the state.  

The community of Lockwood, near Billings, became home to Montana’s first Safe Haven Baby Box in June 2025. One is also planned for a fire station in Missoula. 

“These have saved hundreds of lives and they are something that people support across the board. It doesn’t matter your political or religious affiliation, these poll at about 90% support,” Sertell told Council last month.  

Kalispell resident Russel Sias first began urging Council to install a Safe Haven Baby Box months ago and has continued to lobby for the measure. At a June 1 meeting, he described the devices as a crisis prevention tool and criticized the use of mail-order abortion pills.   

He told councilors that the receptacles are needed “until we teach our young people ... that keeping their pants on is something that’s worthwhile to do, until at least they decide to get married.” 

The U.S. birth rate continued to fall last year, declining about 1% over 2024, according to an April report by the National Center for Health Statistics. For teenagers 15 to 19, the fertility rate fell by 7%. For younger teenagers, 15 to 17, the drop was about 11%. 

Kalispell resident Sherry Stockham also expressed support for the devices, arguing it would decrease the number of women choosing abortion, according to written public comment submitted to City Hall.    

“Having this humane alternative for families, mothers, fathers and innocent infant babies in Kalispell and the surrounding communities would be such a blessing for all concerned!” wrote Columbia Falls resident Rosie Apple-Skeahan, another supporter of the measure, in a public comment submitted to City Hall. 

Councilor Sam Nunnally said he would like to equip all of the city’s fire stations — including the planned third station — with the baby boxes but acknowledged that funding could pose a challenge.  

He told the Inter Lake he hopes a combination of philanthropic donations and grants could help cover the cost, which is about $25,000 a piece along with maintenance costs.  

Mayor Ryan Hunter asked during a May meeting for a study examining how many cases of abandoned babies have occurred in the city over the past 20 years.  

“I want to make sure that money isn’t put into something that will never be utilized,” he said.  

Hunter told the Inter Lake last week that he had yet to receive any data on their usage and declined to provide his opinion on the devices until a work session was held on the issue.  

Councilor Sid Daoud said in May that even if one went unused for 10 years and was only used once, it would still be worth it. 

The devices are installed on the exterior walls of fire stations and hospitals. An exterior door locks automatically when a newborn is placed inside, and an interior door allows medical personnel to retrieve the baby, according to the nonprofit Safe Haven Baby Boxes. 

Parents in crisis can already legally surrender their babies under Montana’s Safe Haven Newborn Protection Act. The law allows parents to surrender a baby under the age of 30 days to any hospital, fire department, police department or sheriff’s office without being charged with a crime involving the abandonment as long as the baby does not show signs of abuse or neglect, according to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services.  

Nationwide, about 20 babies have been surrendered under similar laws so far in 2026, according to the National Safe Haven Alliance.  

Councilor Kyle Waterman said that if the city allocates funding for the device, it would also need a strong public education campaign to ensure people are aware of it. 

The Fire Department is also considering installing a secure room where victims of domestic abuse can lock themselves inside, according to Chief Jay Hagen.  

City Manager Jarod Nygren said that the combined cost of the room and Safe Haven Baby Box would be about $120,000. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or junderhill@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.