Oswego County baby shower offers free resources for new parents

Oswego County will turn Elim Grace Church into a one-stop support stop for new and expecting families when its free community baby shower runs Friday, May 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 340 W. First St. in Oswego. The event is open to all new and expecting parents and caregivers in the county, and REACH CNY says preregistered attendees will receive an extra raffle ticket.

The format is built around practical help, not just celebration. REACH CNY says the shower will include interactive education stations, community resource connection and navigation, snacks and light refreshments while supplies last, free raffles and prizes, and baby supplies and other giveaway items. The county says the event will also provide information on caring for babies and children, with a focus on the kind of guidance many families need before they know where to ask.

That guidance is tied to a broader public-health network. Amanda Barbera, REACH CNY’s program coordinator, said the goal is to help parents access education and proven initiatives that support family health. Betty Dunsmoor, coordinator and manager for Healthy Families, said the shower is especially useful for first-time parents, noting that newborn care can feel scary and that reassurance matters. The county’s Healthy Families program is voluntary, evidence-based and free for pregnant and new parents, with enrollment available as soon as pregnancy is confirmed by a doctor and up until a baby is 3 months old, or up to age 2 in some child-welfare referrals. The program follows families until the target child is 5 years old.

The county is also using the event to connect families to services beyond the shower itself. Information will be available on Early Intervention, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Preschool 3-5 special education, breastfeeding, lead poisoning prevention and immunization programs. Oswego County’s Maternal Child Health Home Visiting Program will be part of that picture too, offering prenatal, newborn and postpartum visits. Visiting nurses can weigh babies, perform physical exams, help schedule appointments, and connect families with WIC or Healthy Families, while also sharing education on feeding, safe sleep, car seat safety and signs of illness.

REACH CNY and Oswego County Opportunities also partner in the Perinatal & Infant Community Health Collaborative through the OPTIONS program, part of a larger local push to improve outcomes for birthing people, infants and families. The county’s baby shower fits into a familiar Oswego County pattern, too: earlier community baby-shower events and breastfeeding-focused gatherings have long connected families with the Oswego County Breastfeeding Coalition, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County, Oswego Health and other partners. This year’s event keeps that model simple and direct: free supplies, practical education and a live path into the county’s family-support system.