Sherae Honeycutt

This week, Kansas City took a powerful step forward in protecting our most vulnerable.

The Kansas City Council passed a resolution directing the City Manager to evaluate the feasibility of installing Safe Haven Baby Boxes in fire stations across our city. This means Kansas City is now actively exploring how and where to make these life-saving resources a reality.

When I started working on this idea in 2023, it was just that — an idea. I had no roadmap, just a deep belief that we could and should do more for parents in crisis and the babies they love. Over the past two years, I’ve worked with the State of Missouri to understand their guidelines, asked Kansas City Fire Department leadership to evaluate station compatibility, and advocated for our city to be part of this national movement.

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This resolution asks the City Manager to report back within 30 days with:

• Recommended locations for Safe Haven Baby Boxes,
• A suggested number of boxes to serve the city,
• Estimated installation and operational costs,
• And potential funding sources.

This is not the end — it’s the beginning of the next phase. And I am so incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together.

I want to thank Mayor Quinton Lucas, Councilmember Nathan Willett for sponsoring the resolution, and Councilmembers Andrea Bough, Wes Rogers, Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks Shaw and the entire Council for their thoughtful consideration and support. I’m especially grateful to the community members who showed up to speak — including Kayleigh Wasmer, whose courage in sharing her story helped move hearts and minds in that room. Captain Kelsey Whetro is putting in important work to accomplish this goal. Angie Blumel, the President & CEO of Jackson County CASA, and Jeremy Cagle, Vice President of Growth & Strategy with FosterAdopt Connect for testifying in support of this movement.

As I shared in my testimony, my passion for this work is personal. At 16, I ran away from foster care and into an abusive relationship that lasted four years. I know what it feels like to be young, scared, and without options. And I think often about the women in our city who feel the same way right now.

Women in unsafe homes.
Women navigating poverty, abuse, addiction, or postpartum depression.
Women who love their babies but don’t know how to keep them safe.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes won’t solve every problem. But they offer one more choice. One more moment of grace. One more chance to protect a life — and preserve the dignity of the person making that impossible decision.

Kansas City is showing that we can meet people with compassion, not judgment. That we’re willing to invest in solutions that meet real needs. And that when we come together, we can make space for hope.

Thank you to everyone who has walked this journey with me. Let’s keep going.