Pack Up the Pack-n-Play
With the help of our friends at Two Men and a Truck, boxes filled with diapers, wipes, bottles, books, and other family necessities made their way to The Baby Fold's new office location in Urbana. Healthy Start staff didn't miss a beat as they continued their care of young parents and little ones in the safety, convenience, and privacy of client homes. Stay tuned for pictures of our new location for Healthy Start Champaign-Urbana.
A Testimony from an Adoptive Family
Darlene and Russ have shared their journey with us. "We love kids. We raised four sons to adulthood and adopting another son seemed to fit right in with our family rhythm. "B" came into our home and fit in quite well. Quickly though, he began to exhibit his fears and lack of trust through outbursts of rage and conflict. That is when The Baby Fold came into our lives. Ken Summers, a professional trauma therapist, took the time to sit down in our home and listen, to learn about our family strengths, challenges, and hopes. We were surprised that Ken didn't just focus on our son and create some program to deal with his behaviors. Ken set the foundation of trust with us first. Then he was eager to hear about B's dreams and goals. Ken taught us so many things. He spent hours with our son- listening, talking, playing- connecting and teaching him to process his past, challenges, and goals. Ken provided that same support to Russ and me. We learned how to meet B where he is and found ways to build a trusting relationship with our son. Because our son knows we are all on the same 'team' and we're learning and growing together, our family has bonded in ways we didn't even expect. We will be forever grateful for The Baby Fold's Adoption Support and Preservation Program and especially for Ken, our 'second to none' therapist." -Russ and Darlene, adoptive parents
Be in the Know: The Baby Fold's 2020 HYBRID Festival of Trees
Mark your calendars because The Baby Fold's 2020 HYBRID Festival of Trees IS ON! Hundreds of beautifully decorated trees, wreaths, gingerbread creations, and holiday dΓ©cor will be up for bid in our fun silent auction with 100% of proceeds helping local kids in need. The Baby Fold has designed a fun and safe hybrid experience for our community in this unique year. All bidding will take place through our new mobile auction website (that link goes live on November 1, when auction registration opens). The mobile auction website allows you to browse, bid, and buy items from anywhere, even from the safety and convenience of your own home. For those comfortable in a store environment, the auction items will also be on display in Eastland Mall from November 16 – 21, 11am-8pm daily, with curbside pickup for auction winners on November 22 from 12pm-6pm. Stay in the know about Festival 2020 at www.FestOfTrees.org.
Create Christmas Morning Memories
Keep the spirit of Christmas bright this holiday season by adopting a Christmas Wish List from a child of The Baby Fold! Many children who receive services through The Baby Fold would not otherwise receive Christmas gifts if it weren't for the generous hearts of friends like you. Our children are eagerly writing their wish lists and YOU can help turn them into Christmas morning magic! This year we've made it easier than ever before to give the gift of lasting Christmas memories. For your convenience and safety, we can shop for you. Just sit back, relax, and we'll do the rest! Click here to adopt a wish list, learn more, or sign up to volunteer.
Zooming into a Bright Future
It seems everyone has now experienced Zoom- virtual family reunions, business meetings, job interviews, even weddings. At The Baby Fold, we recognized an opportunity for new collaboration by leveraging this technology. The Baby Fold has a history of responding to requests from the State of Illinois to replicate and expand our programs beyond our local community. Successful programs grow. Just within Bloomington-Normal, The Baby Fold has 3 Hammitt School campuses, 3 public schools embedded with Baby Fold staff, a Prevention and Early Intervention Services campus, and another location for Family and Community Services. Additionally, offices in Springfield and Urbana meet the needs of foster families and new parents. Together, we wrap services around families and children in need across 28 Central Illinois counties. With the need for Zoom, comes a blessing. Because geography is no longer a barrier, we can join together parent groups from all of our locations to heal and grow together. Therapists from different campuses are now able to collaborate, learn and cross-train more than ever before. By utilizing opportunities created by new circumstances, we are even more effective in "zooming" our children and families into a bright future.