Offers families on-going support and encouragement in the most difficult times and addresses essential needs to develops supportive, nurturing relationships to walk the journey with young families in need. Provides the following services: Young Mom's Support Groups; Family Companion, which is an opportunity for a pregnant or parenting family to be matched with a trained family companion volunteer who gives the family ongoing support and encouragement; facilitated play groups available to children from birth to age 5, and their caregivers.

PREPARES: Pregnancy and Parenting Support offered at Catholic Charities Serving Central WA in Tri-Cities

Offers families on-going support and encouragement in the most difficult times and addresses essential needs to develops supportive, nurturing relationships to walk the journey with young families in need.

Programs that provide educational and supportive services that help new parents or those expecting a child, to prepare them on an emotional and practical level for the impact the newborn will have on their lives and relationships. The programs are open to all parents. Initial focus areas include healthy eating for the mother, danger signs in pregnancy, sibling preparation and being ready for labor and delivery, followed by practical information on basic infant care, newborn behaviors, baby supplies, bathing techniques, diapering, breastfeeding and other feeding options, as well as infant and childhood illnesses. Later topics may include walking, talking, toilet training and other aspects of child development, all to help ensure that infants and toddlers are nurtured, live in a safe environment and receive proper health care.

General Expectant/New Parent Assistance

Programs that provide guidance and support for people who have adopted a child or are involved in the process of adopting a child.

Adoption Counseling and Support

Programs that develop plans for the evaluation, treatment and/or care of individuals who, because of age, illness, disability or other difficulties, need assistance in planning and arranging for services; which assess the individual's needs; coordinate the delivery of needed services; ensure that services are obtained in accordance with the case plan; and follow up and monitor progress to ensure that services are having a beneficial impact on the individual. Case management is a collaborative process characterized by communication, advocacy and resource management to promote high quality, cost-effective interventions and outcomes.

Case/Care Management

Programs that supply infant formula and/or baby food, usually in addition to other groceries.

Formula/Baby Food

Programs that pay for or provide new or secondhand clothing and layettes for infants and young children.

Baby Clothing

Programs that provide educational and supportive services that help teens who are or are about to become parents, to prepare them on an emotional and practical level for the impact the newborn will have on their lives and relationships. Initial focus areas include healthy eating for the mother, danger signs in pregnancy, sibling preparation and being ready for labor and delivery, followed by practical information on basic infant care, newborn behaviors, baby supplies, bathing techniques, diapering, breastfeeding and other feeding options, as well as infant and childhood illnesses. Later topics may include walking, talking, toilet training and other aspects of child development, all to help ensure that infants and toddlers are nurtured, live in a safe environment and receive proper health care.

Teen Expectant/New Parent Assistance

Programs that encourage individuals whose plans for their pregnancies are uncertain to consider alternatives to abortion including relinquishing the children for adoption or raising the children themselves.

Pro-Life Pregnancy Counseling

Programs that provide a wide variety of social services that are designed to support the healthy development of families, improve family interaction skills and help fragile families to resolve their problems at a pre-crisis stage before they become unmanageable.  Services may be center-based or provided on an outreach basis to families who are initially reluctant to seek support and generally target the specific needs of a particular community.  Included may be self-sufficiency programs which help families break the cycle of poverty by addressing the barriers to self-sufficiency; early child development and school success programs; programs which address the needs of teen parents; programs which target parents at risk for becoming abusive; programs for families with children who have special developmental needs and programs that focus on the maternal and child health care needs of first-time, expectant women whose babies are at high risk for low birth weight and infant mortality.

Family Resource Centers/Outreach

Mutual support groups for parents who share a common characteristic or circumstance such as being single parents, dual career parents, multiple birth parents, parents with children who are out of control, or parents of children with disabilities, who come together for educational and social purposes as well as for mutual support. Meeting formats may include in-person, telephone or Internet options.

Parent Support Groups

Programs that pay for or provide cloth or disposable diapers.

Diapers

Programs that utilize laboratory procedures to determine whether an individual is pregnant or which provide access to devices for establishing pregnancy that people can use at home.

Pregnancy Testing

Programs that provide information about the different types of adoption that are available as options and the requirements and procedures for adopting another individual for birth parents, adoptive parents and people who have been adopted. Included are programs that facilitate the adoption process by compiling information about children who are available for adoption in sharable formats such as photo albums, newsletters, video tapes or media campaigns (e.g., newspaper stories or television segments) that feature a particular adoptable child; and arranging activities such as picnics where prospective adoptive parents and children can meet informally. Also included are programs that provide referrals to organizations that offer adoption-related services a family might need.

Adoption Information/Referrals

Provides services to teenagers or women who are pregnant and parent/caregivers of children birth-5 years of age by addressing basic needs. Offers counseling to girls or women facing an unplanned pregnancy, including: pregnancy testing; intake and assessment; volunteer mentors for moms and dads; parent support services; support groups and classes for parents and families; rapid response and referrals for urgent needs like food, formula, diapers and clothing; and adoption support and referrals.

PREPARES offered at Catholic Charities Serving Central WA in Wenatchee

Provides services to teenagers or women who are pregnant and parent/caregivers of children birth-5 years of age by addressing basic needs.