New Crisis Hotline Information Placed at All Baby Boxes in Latvia

In July 2026, new informational posters were installed at every baby box in Latvia as part of the project "Baby Box – A Place for a Child's Life!" The posters display the unified state-funded 24/7 crisis hotline number 116123, operated by specialists from the Crisis and Counseling Center "Skalbes."

A baby box is a specially equipped location where parents who decide to abandon their infant can do so anonymously and safely. There is no video surveillance or security at the boxes to ensure privacy. Any pregnant woman or new mother in crisis is urged to call the hotline first to receive psychological and emotional support as well as guidance on next steps.

Previously, signs at the baby boxes contained outdated information. This month, all posters were replaced to provide current details. Project implementers Laura Zvirbule and Edīte Kaņepāja-Vanaga emphasize that the baby box is a last resort for saving a child's life, but the goal is to minimize the number of people reaching the decision to leave a child. They encourage seeking help in cases of violence, addiction, poverty, homelessness, or emotional exhaustion.

Since 2009, eight baby boxes have been established in Latvia: in Riga, Jelgava, Valmiera, Rēzekne, Daugavpils, Ventspils, Liepāja, and Madona. Currently, the baby box in Rēzekne is closed due to hospital renovations but is expected to resume operations soon.

After a child is placed in a baby box, medical care is provided immediately, and the orphan court and State Police are notified. The police check if the child has been reported missing. The person who left the child is not sought if the child has no injuries, no identifying documents are left behind, and the child is not reported missing. If the child is not missing and parents are unknown, the child is granted foundling status, allowing the adoption process to begin. The Ministry of Welfare contacts a waiting family, and the child can be placed with new parents in approximately ten days.

The first six months are a pre-adoption care period, during which the orphan court monitors the relationship. The child is discharged from the hospital only with written consent from the orphan court. If the person who left the child changes their mind, they must contact the orphan court as soon as possible to reclaim the child.