First-time mom Nikayla Parker visits with labor and delivery nurses at Hancock Regional Hospital during a community-wide baby shower and resource fair hosted by Firefly Children & Family Alliance Nov. 14.
Shelley Swift | Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD — A baby shower was held for dozens of moms Tuesday evening at Hancock Regional Hospital.
The baby bash — thrown by Firefly Children & Family Alliance — was designed to equip moms with resources they might need to prepare for their bundles of joy.
More than a dozen different agencies were on hand Nov. 14 to share information with expectant mothers.
Free resources, raffles and refreshments were available to all who attended, and those who attended a safe sleep class at 6 p.m. received a free pack-and-play, infant care kit and sleep sack.
Becky Fontaine, a lactation consultant and labor and delivery nurse at the hospital, was there to share information about the hospital’s women and children’s unit as well as the Hancock County Breastfeeding Coalition.
Her daughter, Emily Kidder, was among the many moms who made their way through the rows of tables filled with brochures and giveaways from numerous family-based agencies.
“I’m only 12 weeks (pregnant), but I feel a little more confident having all these resources available to help us figure things out,” said Kidder, who is expecting her first child in late May with her husband, Dillon.
Fellow first-time mom Nikayla Parker brought along her mother, Natasha Natali, to the baby shower, eager to learn all she could before her baby arrives in December.
“I figure all the resources you can learn about will help,” said Parker, as her mom carried a stack of diapers and crib sheets that were given away at the resource fair.
Christiane Soultz — a women and children’s health specialist with Caresource, a managed healthcare program — was happy for the chance to engage with so many expectant moms Tuesday night.
“We really appreciate the opportunity to come out and meet our members, but also to provide educational opportunities to connect moms to resources that they might need throughout their pregnancy and beyond,” she said.
Megan Wills, director of the local Firefly Children & Family Alliance office, was thrilled to see so many moms collecting information at the baby shower.
The event was funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Hancock County.
“We’ve done two of these baby showers now in Hancock County, and we’ve also used some of the grant money to spread awareness through billboards,” said Wills, whose region serves Hancock, Hamilton, Madison and Tipton counties.
Firefly Children & Family Alliance offers an array of services in the areas of child abuse prevention, home-based services, youth placement and recovery services.
The nonprofit is funded by the Indiana Department of Child Services to promote child safety and prevent unsafe sleep related deaths throughout the state. The nonprofit also offers home-based programs in which liaisons meet with families one-on-one.
According to its website, the organization is “empowering Hoosiers through a wide range of support programs and resources designed to give parents, children and individuals everything they need to live successfully.”
For more information, visit fireflyin.org.
————————————————
