Launching Cornerstone's New Smart Mommy, Safe Baby Program
As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting families in our area, Cornerstone Parenting Center will soon be launching its Smart Mommy, Safe Baby program to teach new mothers valuable parenting skills, while rewarding them with equipment to keep their babies safe.
The free educational program is made possible in part by a grant by the Ohio Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Smart Mommy, Safe Baby endeavors to equip young mothers through education, mentoring and practical tools to become better parents for their children and better providers for their family while also providing them with basic, but critical equipment that every young child needs, but are often cost-prohibitive for young parents to purchase.
Clients in the Smart Mommy, Safe Baby program will be matched with a trained parenting coach who will guide them through 24 engaging, video-based lessons on parenting, child safety, and basic life skills. Examples of topics covered in the lessons include infant care, car safety, child nutrition, immunizations, toddler milestones, child behavior, establishing routines, budgeting, and home maintenance, just to name a few.
The material in the curriculum used by Smart Mommy, Safe Baby is reviewed and approved by content experts and physicians. Cornerstone has experience with this curriculum in its mentoring program, and Tere Rufener, Center Director at Cornerstone Parenting Center, says, “The staff loves it, and clients have quick, easy access to the material through their cell phones.”
Lessons are broken into two twelve-lesson units. When the first unit is completed by a client, she will be awarded a free portable playpen as a safe sleeping solution for her baby. Upon completion of the second unit, moms will receive a free carrier/stroller combo to keep their babies safe while traveling.
Training sessions are scheduled weekly based on clients’ availability and take place at Cornerstone Parenting Center. There is no charge to clients participating in Smart Mommy, Safe Baby.
Mothers wishing to participate in Smart Mommy, Safe Baby should contact Cornerstone Parenting Center at (330) 386-3999 for information and to register.
