Child, Family and Community
Category: News
July 11, 2022
Many of our partners and donors not only support our mission financially, they also believe in the work that we do and find ways to amplify the issues that are important to Any Baby Can. So when we were invited to speak on The Helpdesk podcast hosted by Integris, we welcomed the opportunity.
Isabel Cobo, Early Intervention Specialist and Early Childhood Intervention Program Coordinator at Any Baby Can, sat down with Anthony DeGraw, Vice President of Sales. You can hear the full podcast recording or read the transcript.
Connection Between Child, Family and Community
The role and need for community in parenting has been a topic that we’ve discussed over the last year. When we talk about supporting one person or family, we’re really having an affect on our entire community. The areas in which Any Baby Can is poised to impact include family health, child development and parent education.
These areas are interconnected and foundational to the services Any Baby Can provides.
Effects of COVID in Family Support Services
Any Baby Can is an organization that provides primarily in-home services, however, we’ve had to pivot over the last few years. It has been particularly important to be able to connect with families, as many people were cut off from their support systems. Parents were fearful, vulnerable, and facing extraordinary—and unforeseen—challenges. Nevertheless, Any Baby Can has continued to serve as a steady source of support and guidance, truly taking our mantra of “meeting families where they are” to heart.
In particular, mental health has become an increasingly important part of our work, with staff integrating emotional well-being into every visit.
Critical Relationships in a Child’s Early Years
Children develop in an environment of relationships, with the child’s community providing that vital context for their learning and development. The brain is developing at a rapid rate before the age of four so it’s critical to offer positive, consistent, responsive, and secure relationships from birth.
“All of a child’s outcomes are really built on that foundation. I’ve seen the impacts that this relationship that Any Baby Can builds with families, and how that can change the trajectory of a child’s life,” says Isabel Cobo.
A lot of people don’t seek out parent education, because there’s a misconception that you’re supposed to know what you’re doing. But parenting is something that can always improve, and each small interaction can have a meaningful impact on a child.
Many parents are holding onto trauma from their own childhood, and it can affect their actions as adults. Sometimes people don’t recognize the trauma, or they have pushed it aside. But the body responds to trauma even if we don’t realize it. Triggers can have a negative effect on one’s relationship with their child—or any relationships a person may have.
The Sooner the Better
If someone is considering reaching out to Any Baby Can for support with their family’s health, their child’s development, or their own parent education, the best advice is: don’t wait.
Trust your intuition. Family, friends or even doctors may say to give it time and see how things play out. But if you have a concern, that is valid, and it’s best to talk to someone.
Any Baby Can staff are well-equipped to refer parents to the correct resource in the community.
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