In 2006, Latvia saw numerous cases of newborn abandonment. As a result, Gedeon Richter plc, a pharmaceutical company, established the first baby box of Latvia at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital (located in Riga) in September 2009. Latvia has eight baby boxes at present, and 43 babies have been surrendered so far. The babies entrusted to the box are not placed in infant homes but adopted under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Welfare. However, the biological parents have right to request the return of the babies within six months after relinquishing them.
The opinions of church officials are deeply respected in Latvian society. After some discussion within the church, the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia backed the initiative. Also, information on the baby boxes is regularly published and broadcasted through the mass media such as national and local newspapers, internet and television. Although opinions among politicians were divided in a neutral or supportive way, the approval by the Minister of the Interior of Latvia opened up the way to the first Latvian baby box. The central government also consented to the establishment of the baby box in the children’s hospital and became supportive of setup of baby boxes in other places. All the baby boxes have been accepted by local governments and are supported by the police, probate courts, the Ministry of Welfare and hotline volunteers (NGO and individuals). To provide mental support to mothers before they relinquish their babies, information on a 24-hour hotline is displayed outside the baby box. The babies surrendered to a baby box receive a so-called first memory box which contains their clothes, instructions, toys, information about themselves and a letter to the new parents. To locate the biological parents smoothly, a system to manage information on children entrusted to baby boxes was built in 2015 under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Welfare and Ministry of Health.
As for future tasks, it is necessary to solve technical problems and raise funds for baby box renewals and memorial box preparation.
Although opinions were mixed in the beginning, the majority of public and the media support the view that “The lives of children should be protected”.