Oswego County prepares third annual community baby shower for families

Oswego County will turn Elim Grace Church into a one-stop support stop for new and expecting families on Friday, May 15, when the county’s third annual community baby shower runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 340 W. First St. in Oswego. The event is free and open to anyone who is currently pregnant or parenting or caring for an infant or young child in Oswego County, giving families a broader safety net than a private shower usually can.

Amanda Barbera of REACH CNY and Sidney Carter of the Oswego County Early Childhood Alliance are among the people planning the event, alongside the Oswego County Health Department and other partners. That mix is what gives the baby shower its shape: it is designed to connect families with local services, practical items and a place to ask questions, not just to hand out gifts. Families will move through interactive education stations and community resource navigation, and they can expect snacks, light refreshments, raffle entries, prizes, baby supplies and other giveaway items. Pre-registration will earn an extra raffle ticket.

The county health department is using the event to put its Healthy Families Program in front of parents who may need ongoing support after the shower ends. Healthy Families is a voluntary, evidence-based home-visiting program that provides no-cost services to pregnant and new parents. The department says the program is intended to prevent child abuse and neglect while promoting positive child development, and the baby shower will give staff a chance to explain what that looks like in daily life.

Planned topics include diapering, safe sleep, car seat safety, tummy time, infant and child development, breastfeeding, lead poisoning prevention and immunization programs. The county also plans to connect families with early intervention, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Preschool 3-5 special education and other maternal-child health services. For parents trying to track down help before a baby arrives or during the first months at home, the event is built to put those resources in one room.

Betty Dunsmoor, who coordinates and manages Healthy Families, said first-time parenthood can be scary. Amanda Barbera put the point more bluntly: “Babies don’t come with a manual.” In Oswego County, the answer is a community baby shower that has grown into a recurring support hub, with REACH CNY, the county health department, Oswego County Opportunities’ OPTIONS Program and the Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaborative all working from the same playbook.