The Oswego County Health Department joins Catholic Charities of Oswego County and nearly a dozen other partners to offer a free Community Baby Shower on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event takes place at Catholic Charities, 808 W. Broadway, Fulton.

The Community Baby Shower helps new and expecting parents prepare for their new baby by offering education and resources on a variety of topics relating to being a new mom or dad. Parents can learn about diapering, bathing, safe sleep, ways to bond with their baby, car seat safety, CPR, breastfeeding and bottle feeding, lead poisoning, assistance with health insurance, navigating transportation options, various connections to community resources and more.

The Oswego County Health Department will be at hand to provide families with information about its many programs, such as Healthy Families. Available to new and expectant parents, the free program is a voluntary, evidence-based home visiting program designed to help strengthen the bond between parents and their babies.

“We’re very excited to attend the Community Baby Shower to speak with families and provide some care tips,” said Betty Dunsmoor, coordinator of the Oswego County Healthy Families Program. “The entire Healthy Families team will be at the event demonstrating how to hold and bathe a child and providing education about the importance of protective layers and how they impact a child’s growth.

“Sometimes families need to learn the basics,” she continued. “We just want to remind them that our program is here as a resource. We will also be giving out burp cloths to each community member that attends.”

The Health Department’s Children with Special Needs Division will be at the event to offer information on its Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program, Early Intervention Program and the Pre-school Special Education Program. Staff members will provide activities that families can do with their children to help boost their development using everyday household items.

Families can also speak with the staff of the Health Department’s Preventive Division about maternal child health, lactation counseling, lead poisoning prevention and immunization programs.

Members of the health department will also participate in the Oswego County Traffic Safety Board’s car seat inspection from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Certified child passenger safety technicians will check car seats to ensure they’re installed properly and offer parents tips on selection, use and installation of car seats.

In addition to offering education and resources, the event also features a live DJ and photo booth, light refreshments and various raffles and giveaway items. 

Registration is encouraged but not required. For more information or to register, visit the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1622414908586890.

The Community Baby Shower is made possible through a collaboration with Catholic Charities of Oswego County, Oswego County Health Department, Family Resource Center of Oswego County, Fulton Family Welcome Center, Integrated Community Planning of Oswego County, Oswego County Healthy Families, Oswego County Breastfeeding Coalition, Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Breastfeeding Friendly NY, OCO Health Education, OCO OPTIONS, OCO WIC, REACH CNY, Inc., and several other community volunteers.

For more information on the Oswego County Health Department and its services, https://health.oswegocounty.com or call 315-349-3547.