Healthy Start Expands Services This Fall

The Baby Fold has a strong history of evolving to meet the needs of children and families in Central Illinois. The next evolution will take place this fall with the addition of doula services for some families in McLean County’s Healthy Start program.

This pilot program is the first of its kind in Illinois, made possible by grant funding from the Illinois State Board of Education. The goal is to provide solid health from the beginning for both mom and baby.

The Baby Fold's doulas will be trained in the stages of labor and child development. More importantly, they will be able to walk beside Healthy Start parents as they develop their birth plans, amplifying the parents’ voices at doctor visits and throughout pregnancy. 

Our doulas will also be trained in perinatal mood disorders and postpartum depression, serving as another resource for moms and dads to be healthier and to have healthier babies.

The Healthy Start program offers in-home visits and parenting support to expectant and new parents. Family Specialists connect parents with community resources while also helping new parents bond with their child to make sure the child has a healthy start in life. 

President & CEO Clete Winkelmann: What's Your Why?

On his first day at The Baby Fold, new President & CEO Clete Winkelmann asked employees “What’s your why?,” challenging staff to think about what compels them to do life-changing work for kids and families. 

Clete's "why" is rooted in his childhood. He realized over the years that his life would have been significantly different had his birth mother not made the ultimate sacrifice in placing him for adoption. She gave him up so that he could have a better life, and he was ultimately blessed by being adopted into a loving, caring family with resources.

The reason Clete dedicates his career to social services is because so many children and families don’t have the same opportunities he had. He appreciates the sacrifice his birth parents made and the blessing of his adoptive parents. Clete's work at The Baby Fold is one tangible way he can give back.

Clete explains that he often asks others for their “why” because it reveals the heart of the work. Not only does each unique story help Clete connect and understand the other person on a deeper level, but it also reignites his own personal vision, commitment, and passion.

What's YOUR Why?

We’d love to hear why you support the programs and services of The Baby Fold! Why do you offer your time, talents, and/or treasures to the children and families in our care?

Email us at PublicRelations@TheBabyFold.org or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram.

It's Baby Fold Camp Week!

Our children had an absolute blast at Baby Fold Camp last week! The overcast skies early in the week didn't prevent them from jumping into the lake and taking a canoe out on the water. They had great weather for playing on the lily pad at the beach and exploring the lake on paddle boats.

Musical chairs was a hit during music time, and scavenger hunts were always popular during nature time. A group of older boys enjoy fishing so much that they had the fishing poles out every single day last week. The kids created friendship bracelets during arts and crafts on Tuesday, and they loved making tie-dye shirts on Wednesday.

Our teacher therapists are right there with the kids the entire time, meeting their unique needs even at summer camp. The therapeutic camp activities helped the kids practice important social and emotional skills outside of the classroom. They thrived at camp!

Many of these children might not have had a camp experience at all if not for the generosity of our donors. Thank you!

Training in Play

Staff in several of The Baby Fold’s programs recently spent some time playing around. Their play time, however, had a very specific purpose. They were training in Theraplay.

Theraplay is a type of therapy that uses play to guide parents and children through fun games, developmentally challenging activities, and nurturing opportunities to improve the bonds between them. Parents learn to regulate their child’s behavior as they communicate love, joy, and safety to their child.

This state-of-the-art training was made possible by the All Our Kids Network (AOK) at the McLean County Health Department. The Baby Fold has partnered with AOK in the past for training and initiatives. In this instance, the Baby Fold staff suggested Theraplay as a training option, and AOK was able to make it happen.

Using existing funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health, AOK brought Theraplay trainers to the area for the two-day training. Individuals working with children in McLean County—in particular those specializing in children from birth to five years old—were invited to attend.

Family Specialists from The Baby Fold’s Healthy Start program were among the 26 people who took advantage of the opportunity. Theraplay gives them another tool to use when helping young families create stronger bonds. It offers ways to help parents encourage healthy growth and development in their child, also improving school readiness.

With Theraplay trainers already in the area, The Baby Fold’s Adoption Support and Preservation (ASAP) program was also able to maximize the opportunity by hosting a training session for their team. 

Collaborations like this one with AOK allow for amazing training opportunities for both staff at The Baby Fold and caregivers across McLean County. The ultimate result of this summer’s Theraplay training is stronger parent-child connections and more secure, happy families across Central Illinois.

An Update on Cedar Ridge Elementary School's Garden

Cindy Rodgers, our community schools coordinator at Cedar Ridge Elementary School, reports that the Garden Club's fruits and vegetables are growing very well! The students in summer school have enjoyed learning about and growing the different vegetables. They were amazed when they realized that their cabbage plants repel water!

Parents are joining their children at the garden, too. They're working side-by-side to tend plants, water, weed, and harvest.

Earlier this spring, a small group from Eastview Christian Church chose to bless The Baby Fold’s Community Schools program by donating gardening supplies to be used by the Garden Club. Their kindness is now providing bonding time for Cedar Ridge families and produce for their kitchen tables!

Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Peggy Owens Page was only three months old when she was adopted from The Baby Fold. During her lifetime, she fell in love and married twice. She was widowed twice, too. She enjoyed her work as a dental assistant and receptionist. She also loved knitting, practicing yoga, and driving her bright red Miata convertible.

While she couldn’t have remembered her time at The Baby Fold, she remembered her roots. Peggy wanted to bless the organization that had blessed her with her adoptive parents. She discussed her wishes with her family, then she included The Baby Fold in her estate plans. 

When she passed away unexpectedly at 70 years old, her family knew exactly what to do. They worked with staff at The Baby Fold to honor Peggy’s memory through her loving gift.

A portion of the estate gift was used to create a scholarship fund for staff in memory of Peggy. The Peggy Owens Page Scholarship encourages Baby Fold staff members to pursue opportunities that might not otherwise be possible, providing up to $10,000 each year for training that directly impacts the children and families in our care.

Peggy’s estate gift is helping others in very tangible ways.

This spring Rebecca Kinsey and Cindy Rodgers from our Community Schools program were both able to attend a national conference thanks to scholarship funds from Peggy’s gift. They gained valuable information and insights on improving student attendance, encouraging family engagement, developing community partnerships, and much more. 

Rebecca and Cindy were also able to connect with others doing similar work across the country and share ideas. Many of their new ideas and insights will be implemented this fall at Fairview and Cedar Ridge Elementary Schools.

Peggy’s gift is also allowing Adam Kinzer from The Baby Fold's Adoption Support and Preservation program to receive specialized training that strengthens relationships between a parent and a child and helps the child heal from past trauma. The principles in the training also help to create stronger family bonds. 

Adam will be able to immediately implement his new knowledge, helping countless children and adoptive families in the future. He will also be able to share his training with other colleagues, further expanding the reach of Peggy’s gift.

Peggy could have never imaged the countless lives she would bless by leaving a portion of her estate to The Baby Fold. Estate gifts of all sizes create a lasting legacy, providing transformational change for generations to come.

A special thank you to our business sponsors

Thank you to our Festival of Trees Champion and Guardian level sponsors!

We appreciate the support of businesses such as Sylvester Family Dental, Radio Bloomington, CEFCU, and Avanti’s Family Restaurant who invest in the lives of our children and families.