Warwick community continues effort to welcome babies born at St. Anthony Community Hospital

As Family Central prepares this Sunday to celebrate the fourth anniversary of its New Baby Welcome Bags, the non-profit parenting support network sends a warm thank you to everyone who contributes to this effort and ask for their continuing support.

Since 2016, various members of the town have contributed time, money, and talent to help Family Central extend a loving welcome to the more than 350 babies each year born at St. Anthony Community Hospital.

One of Family Central’s goals is to address research-based prevention focusing on early intervention in a child’s development to strengthen protective factors before problem behavior develops.

To this end, our Newborn Welcome Bags provide parents with a baby’s first book to promote early literacy, practical information that helps parents support their child’s social, emotional and physical health right from the start and materials that explain why play, nature, and activities – not gadgets – support development.

Most bags also contain a hand knit or crocheted baby blanket created by volunteers of the larger Warwick community. Family Central staff also extend their gratitude to the nurses at St. Anthony’s Kennedy Birthing Center, who personalize the board books with each baby’s name and birthday, and distribute the bags to families as they leave the hospital.

Family Central’s newborn welcome bags are also an additional point of support for families by alerting them to our other programs and workshops, which can support them, such as:

· Film Screenings aimed at sharing knowledge as well as building emotional support networks by reducing isolation among caregivers.

· Workshops with local experts provide concrete support in current parenting topics such as nutrition, brain development, technology, disabilities, and substance abuse.

· Outdoor activities that foster community (example: Ladybug Picnic, hiking, family potlucks, cookouts, etc.).

Research shows that these types of community efforts create healthy environments for the optimal development of all children.

To learn more about Family Central and how you might support the continuation of the Newborn Welcome Bags or its parenting programs, go to familycentralny.wordpress.com or send a message to familycentralny@gmail.com.

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