What is the First Steps Program?
Baby's don't come with instructions, but they can come with a First Steps volunteer parent coach. The First Steps Parents of Newborns Program pairs a trained parent coach with the family of a newborn right in the hospital setting shortly after delivery. The parent coach offers emotional support, a gift packet of helpful information specifically selected for parents of newborns , and referrals to community resources. The parent coach keeps in touch with the new family by phone for a minimum of three months and shares information and support to guide the family through their "first steps" of parenting.
Often the parent coach is just a listening ear to hear mom or dad brag about the new arrival, and sometimes just knowing there is someone to talk to when mom can't get the baby to stop crying is a tremendous comfort to a new parent. First Steps volunteers visit with ALL new families giving birth at the Telfair Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia.
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Using this Website
Information is available here for parents of newborns with many tips on dealing with some of the stressors involved with having a new baby in the home. Whether you are a first time parent or this is your fifth child, a new baby in the home changes the dynamic of the family. There is also information on becoming a volunteer parent coach -- the key to the success of the program -- and also information for current parent coaches on upcoming training opportunities and events supporting the First Steps program. Please check back often. We have also included a calendar of events, many of which are open to the community. The Who We Are section includes a list of personnel involved with First Steps including our staff, our sponsoring agencies, and our First Steps Advisory Committee.
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Caring Support
For the family of a newborn, the rewards and demands of parenthood are endless! During pregnancy, at the time of birth, and when a baby comes home, there will be some ups and downs and many unanswered questions. Parents of newborns often feel overwhelmed, and these feelings are normal and experienced by most parents. The First Steps Parents of Newborns Program helps parents overcome challenges and prepares them for the new addition to the family. It helps parents and infants get to know each other and begin the bonding process necessary for strong and stable families.
"Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation."
-- C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General
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First Steps parent coaches offer support and information with a combination of services and materials that include:
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Personal visits by trained volunteers and staff in the hospital or clinic;
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"Our New Baby" calendar which features growth and development milestones for infants;
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Use of a telephone help line providing support and answers to parenting questions;
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A community resource guide;
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Parenting information on a variety of topics including postpartum care, infant brain development, coping with crying, fatherhood, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS.)
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The Parent Coaches
There is no manual of how to raise your baby that has answers to every question or concern you may have. First Steps volunteers, our parent coaches, aren't experts either. But they have been trained to share tips with new moms and dads on:
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Identifying personal needs after delivery;
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Involving parents in day-to-day loving care and activities;
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Effectively using suggestions from friends and relatives;
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Finding help when needed;
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Helping siblings adjust;
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Managing the baby blues.
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And they ARE experts on finding the community resources, referrals, and educational information you may need on almost any topic of concern to you and your new baby.
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