New Program Helps First-Time Parents Care for Their Newborns
Free Parenting Information Now Available for New Parents in Contra Costa County

—Contact: Tracy Irwin (925) 335-9991 ext. 13

Martinez—The Child Abuse Prevention Council of Contra Costa County (CAPC) today launched a new program to educate parents and caregivers about the important role they play in the intellectual and emotional development of young children. A $90,000 grant from the Contra Costa Children and Families Commission will insure that all expectant and first-time parents in Contra Costa County receive a Prenatal Kit for New Parents and a Postpartum Baby Bag.

Available in English and Spanish, the kit contains videos and pamphlets with practical information about the importance of the early years, family literacy, quality child care, child safety, discipline and health and nutrition. CAPC’s existing Postpartum Baby Bag project, which is currently distributed at four local hospitals and clinics, contains information about local parenting resources and services, including the “Surviving Parenthood” resource directory. The kit will be distributed in a prenatal care setting, and the bag will be distributed at birth. Over 5,000 first-time parents are expected to receive this information at no charge throughout 2002.

“Our ultimate goal is to get parenting information into the hands of all new parents when they need it most,” said Carol Carrillo, executive director of the Child Abuse Prevention Council. “When parents and caregivers have access to education, support and resources, they are less likely to feel stress and child abuse is less likely to occur.”

A $90,000 grant from the Commission has enabled CAPC to expand distribution sites to include more prenatal clinics, hospitals, home visitation programs and private prenatal care providers. Kaiser Permanente and John Muir Hospital, among many others, have signed on to participate.

“Partnering with the Child Abuse Prevention Council and the CCFC will help our local parents, family members and caregivers give Contra Costa’s children the best start in life,” said Brenda Blasingame, Executive Director of the Commission. “Local parents who have already received the Kit are finding it to be a very useful tool that provides a wealth of information for questions they have every day, from childproofing a home to finding quality child care.”

The Center for Community Wellness at the University of California at Berkeley conducted the pilot test of the Kit for New Parents last year. During the pilot, 99 percent of mothers who received the Kit suggested that it be given to all parents. Nearly half of the mothers reported changing their behavior or the way they thought about parenting because of the Kit. The pilot program was conducted in Alameda, Lassen, Los Angeles, Modoc and Santa Clara Counties.

In 1998, California voters approved Proposition 10, which levied a fifty-cent tax on each pack of cigarettes. Revenues generated are used to fund local health, child care and education programs that promote early childhood development for children during their first five years of life. Approximately $9 million will be allocated in Contra Costa County this year.