Staff at the Family Resource Centre is encouraging families with newborns to take advantage of a new program being offered which is said to help reduce cases of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome.
“Like, they’re huge,” Peters said last week as she and Verigin touted the value of Baby Boxes.
Provided by The Baby Box Company, the Baby Box is a global initiative to equip parents with the vital education and resources needed to give babies a safe, healthy and equitable start in life, said information provided by the Resource Centre.
Inspired by the maternity packages that the Finnish government has been sending to all expectant mothers for 75 years, the Baby Boxes serve as a cozy bed for infants up to eight months old, the information said. Each Baby box includes a custom mattress so that it can be used as a bassinet, along with other new parent must-haves from favourite brands.
The box is now an established part of the Finnish rite of passage towards motherhood, uniting generations of women and contributing to Finland’s ranking as one of the best countries in the world for mothers to live, it said.
In order to receive a Baby Box, Verigin said a family needs only to go to the Family Resurce Cente in Crowstand Centre in Kamsack and watch a 20-minute educational video.
“Of course, we’d also like them to participate in our programs,” she said, adding that of the 60 boxes available to the Centre, three have already been spoken for.
The boxes come with some nice swag, Peters added, listing diapers for newborns, baby wipes, digital thermometers, a medicine spoon and diaper cream.
“Our goal is to get families involved,” Verigin said.
Concentrating on families with children from birth to about three years of age, the Family Resource Centre is open Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with special programs on the weekends.
The centre has a good working relationship with Public Health, Parkland Early Childhood Intervention Program, KamKids Daycare, Victoria School, Sunrise Health Region and SIGN (Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours).
According to The Baby Box Company, parents and other caregivers are encouraged to remember the basic rules of safe sleep, which should be followed for all naps and nighttime sleeping.
They include: the baby should sleep alone, without other people or objects in the sleeping space; the baby should always sleep on his or her back; the baby should always sleep in a crib, bassinet or Baby Box; the baby should be protected from overheating, and a healthy lifestyle should be embraced.
