Kaylee Jones, a 17-year-old Girl Scout from the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, is on the verge of making history. As she works toward earning her prestigious Gold Award, the bill she has spent nearly two years advocating for—Florida Senate Bill 1690—is set to be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.
The bill expands the use of Safe Haven Baby Boxes across Florida. These secure, temperature-controlled boxes are installed at designated fire stations and hospitals, providing a safe, anonymous way for parents in crisis to surrender their newborns without fear, shame, or legal repercussions.
For Kaylee, this mission is rooted in her own life story as a child who was adopted.
“I know first-hand that not all moms, and especially teenage moms, always have a plan for after the birth of their child. “I was inspired to work on this project due to my past. My birth parents were 16 years old and did not have supportive families,” she said.
Her birth father tried to care for her during the first two months of her life, but ultimately made the difficult decision to place her for adoption, giving her a second chance.
“I am so thankful that I was not illegally abandoned, and this strengthens my desire to help prevent baby abandonment deaths,” she shared.
Her Gold Award project combines public education and legislative advocacy to raise awareness about the benefits of Safe Haven Baby Boxes and increase their availability in Florida communities.
“Women in a crisis pregnancy situation will now have a completely anonymous option to surrender their infant. It is my hope that offering these baby boxes will help eliminate baby abandonments. Using these baby boxes will provide the mother an opportunity with no shame, no blame, and no name.”
She is hopeful the new law will reassure moms in crisis that their babies can be safely and lovingly placed for adoption, without fear of legal repercussions for the birth parents.
She credits much of her confidence and communication skills to her 11 years in Girl Scouts.
“Ever since I started Girl Scouts 12 years ago, I have greatly improved my skills in public speaking and how to get into contact with important people. Doing cookie booths helped me learn how to communicate with people and how to organize my time. Cookie booths taught me to shoot for the sky with my goals, and I’ve carried that over to my Gold Award.”
Throughout her advocacy journey, Kaylee met with lawmakers, collaborated with nonprofits, and educated the public on the need for safe, legal alternatives for surrendering infants. Her work helped garner support for SB 1690, which she believes will help save lives.
“I have learned a lot about the political and legal process and that it is hard to get everyone to agree on an issue even if it will benefit the citizens. Working on this project for nearly two years has taught me you need to persevere and be determined to get the results you want. I have met several politicians and other people who were able to help make a big impact and help the bill get passed.”
Kaylee’s work is not done. Now that the legislative arm of her project is complete, she is turning her focus to serving moms in her own local community by working with the Fort Myers Fire Department and Safe Haven Baby Box to install a box right here in Fort Myers.
“These baby boxes are installed due to public interest. All you need to do is contact Safe Haven Baby Box and ask how to begin the process. They will walk you through how to contact fire stations and find one that is open to having a baby box installed. Once there is a contract in place, then they need to help find a contractor and an alarm system to install the baby box. Once there is a contract, fundraising can begin.”
She also shared a heartfelt message for mothers facing difficult decisions.
“I want mothers in crisis to know they don’t have to do this alone. They can call the hotline and talk to someone about what they are going through. They will be informed of their options, receive emotional support and get help to make the best decision for them and their baby. There should be no shame, no blame and no name. The choice to safely surrender your infant may be hard, but sometimes the best choices are the hardest ones to make.”
Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. 