Our Babies Can't Wait FAQ
What is “Our Babies Can’t Wait”?
“Our Babies Can’t Wait”, a Community Solutions initiative, is about building a sound foundation for today’s newborns so that by the time they are 20 years old, they will be successful in school and in life. It is about increasing the skills of parents, caretakers and the community to maximize our children’s physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development.
What is the relationship between Community Solutions and “Our Babies Can’t Wait”?
Community Solutions, which started in October 2006, is a region-wide health and human services planning and implementation process for Benton and Franklin Counties involving over 200 community leaders. The Community Solutions Plan identifies four priority areas for the community to focus on to bring about improved community conditions and people’s lives. They are: education, health, safety and self-sufficiency. Our Babies Can’t Wait is the first Community Solutions initiative. Our Babies Can’t Wait addresses all four of the Community Solutions focus areas. It aims to provide the right environment and quality social experience so our children will grow up having excellent physical and mental health, at least a high school education, and valuable skills in order to become gainfully employed. They also will grow up free from crime, neglect and abuse, and be fully engaged in their community.
Why is “Our Babies Can’t Wait” important for Benton and Franklin Counties?
There are approximately 3,900 babies born in Benton and Franklin Counties each year. Many are not getting the appropriate care they need for their physical, social-emotional and cognitive development. Statistics show that our bi-county region is at high risk in some areas. These areas include first trimester prenatal care, the educational level of mothers, high school dropout rate and teen pregnancy rate. There is an abundance of scientific evidence that shows the early years as being the most critical for children’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. Children’s day-to-day experiences affect the structural and functional development of their brains, including intelligence and personality. A 40-year longitudinal study that followed infants into adulthood indicated that investing $1 in early childhood saves $17 down the road, with tangible results measured in lower crime rates, fewer teen pregnancies and higher individual and earning levels.
What services does Our Babies Can’t Wait entail?
Our Babies Can’t Wait encompasses two components: a community-wide awareness and education component and intensive services. The community-wide strategy aims at creating community understanding, as well as mobilizing the community to take action to create a nurturing environment for our children. Intensive services include firstborn screening by a registered nurse, parent workshops and family connection services. Services will continue to grow as the program expands.
Who is leading “Our Babies Can’t Wait”?
Sandy Owen, Director of Preventive Health Services for Benton-Franklin Health District, is the leader of Our Babies Can’t Wait. There are over 40 community partners involved in this initiative, and new partners are being added continually. As a natural extension to their commitment to the Community Solutions planning and implementation process, United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties is also the facilitator of Our Babies Can’t Wait.
Are there things I, my business or my organization can do to help with “Our Babies Can’t Wait”?
We all have the power to create changes in our community. By informing, educating and acting we can open up the communication lines between parents, caretakers, family members, physicians, hospitals, the public health district, schools, funders, parent educators, local government, human service organizations, businesses, employers, churches, and volunteers. Here are some ways you can help: use Our Babies Can’t Wait banners on your organization’s website, write editorials for the newspapers, present your knowledge to groups, sponsor the printing of basic parenting/caretaker education materials, put up posters around the community, include Our Babies Can’t Wait information in your company’s publications, mobilize a neighborhood to support Our Babies Can’t Wait, influence civic, faith-based or ethnic groups to become advocates, develop support networks for parents, and influence government and funding organizations to enact new policies and allocated resources to support parent and caretaker education. The level of involvement the residents of Benton and Franklin Counties has will determine the success of this initiative and the future of our community.