SAN ANTONIO – Deciding what to do with a newborn a parent cannot or does not want to care for can be an overwhelming decision. This dilemma led San Antonio District 9 Councilman John Courage to push for the installation of Safe Haven baby boxes in 2023.
“We realized the difficulty parents face in deciding to surrender a child. Would you walk into a public facility and hand over a newborn and say, ‘I don’t want my child anymore’?” Courage explained. “That was a barrier we wanted to address.”
The baby boxes are part of the state’s Baby Moses law, which permits parents to safely surrender a newborn under the following conditions:
The child is 60 days old or younger.
The child is unharmed.
The child is placed in a designated safe location, such as a hospital or fire station.
In January 2025, KSAT Investigates reported that a newborn boy was found in critical condition after being left with his umbilical cord still attached. The baby was taken to a hospital after being turned in to San Antonio police. Initially, a man claimed to have found the baby on a sidewalk in freezing weather. However, he later changed his story, admitting to knowing the baby’s mother.
Court records revealed that the mother, 28-year-old Ava Marie Guerra, was arrested by San Antonio police. She faces charges of injury to a child and reckless serious bodily injury. Guerra was later released on a $150,000 bond. According to the police affidavit, Guerra admitted she had not sought prenatal care and did not want to keep the baby.
“I want every woman facing this decision to have an anonymous, safe option to protect the child and feel safe herself,” Courage said.
In the 2024 fiscal year, San Antonio’s city council approved a budget of $438,000 to purchase and install 12 baby boxes at fire stations. However, the money has yet to be spent.
KSAT reached out to Courage for an update. He confirmed, “The money is available, but it hasn’t been spent yet.”
When asked about the delay, Courage explained, “It’s been a process of finding the right boxes. I am not happy with how long it has taken.”
Courage noted that some fire stations need upgrades to accommodate the boxes due to their age. The San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) did not provide an interview but confirmed in an email that the city is moving forward with the procurement process and is conducting due diligence to select a vendor.
When asked how he would address the frustration caused by the delay, Courage said, “I’m sorry. It’s taking longer than expected, but I believe anything that’s worthwhile is worth the wait.”
Courage and other city leaders plan to visit North Texas next week to see the baby boxes in operation. Currently, Texas has five such boxes in place, according to Safe Haven.
With his term ending in May 2025, Courage hopes to see two or three baby boxes installed later this year.
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