If you are a parent-to-be, single mother, or parent of an infant one year and under, you can expect major challenges starting from before the child is born and throughout their infancy. Let’s not even talk about the challenges of raising adolescents, as that is a topic for another article. The undeniable truth is that raising children and providing for a family is not an easy task. However, you are not alone. Catholic Charities has a program that can help ease the stress of infant parenthood.
As thousands of families in Eastern Connecticut struggle to make ends meet, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Norwich is an indispensable resource that provides services and programs to assist families in need. The organization believes families are worthy of opportunities to achieve empowerment and self-sufficiency and for that reason has designed a program to help expectant mothers and fathers and parents with infants get the information and support they need. 
As part of the Intensive Case Management/Emergency Basic Needs Program, the agency assists families with Pregnancy Services. This is a program where parents can obtain education about relevant topics addressing parenthood, as well as referrals to other services. Through this program, the agency provides baby essentials, such as formula, diapers, wipes, clothing, blankets, and hygiene items to our clients in Middlesex, New London, Tolland and Windham counties.
Catholic Charities also provides furniture referrals, especially for cribs and basinets, in addition to medical devices such as breast pumps. The agency houses one of the five milk bank depots for newborns in the State of Connecticut. The milk is screened by Mother’s Milk Bank Northeast, then gets distributed through the milk bank, to infants in need across the Northeast.
Every month, the agency coordinates Pregnancy Support Groups in which case workers discuss pregnancy, parenting, child health and development topics, and a variety of other issues. The meetings are a way for parents and children to interact and learn while they build supportive relationships. The groups are led by bilingual, English and Spanish instructors.
Catholic Charities takes pride in the mission of assisting families to improve their quality of life, a mission started over 99 years ago. A commitment to “Provide Help and Create Hope” for families and individuals of all faiths, throughout New London, Middlesex, Tolland and Windham counties.
For more information, and to sign up for the next Zoom group, email Miriam Rodriguez at miriamrodriguez@ccfsn.org, or call 860-423-7065 ext.11.
By Shannen Barnard