St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank program have teamed up to help expectant or new moms with substance-use challenges to provide support, resources, and education aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of moms, babies, and families in the hospital and at home.
“We’re here to help,” says Kellie Bishop, Baby Steps Program clinical nurse liaison.
The St. Elizabeth Baby Steps Program specializes in working with pregnant and new moms with substance-use challenges and to offer assistance and guidance
St. Elizabeth collaborates with many community partners, and one of those is the nonprofit Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank Program.
What Does Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank Do?
Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank partners with local social service agencies, government agencies (like schools) and hospitals to provide free diapers to low-income families that qualify while raising awareness of the basic health need for diapers. Sweet Cheeks’ vision is to eliminate the existence of diaper need in our community so that all babies have a chance to be healthy, happy, and safe.
Each baby uses an average of six diapers a day — newborns usually need more than twice that. This can be financially overwhelming, especially to low-income families.
Sweet Cheeks does not distribute diapers directly to families but works with organizations that are already well established in the community and are currently working with families in need. This way, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank ensures that the diapers collected are distributed to families in the most efficient and timely manner.
The St. Elizabeth Baby Steps Program is one such partnering program in the area that assists in distributing diapers to qualifying families in need.
St. Elizabeth Baby Steps Program and Sweet Cheeks serves more than 4,000 families a month.
Interested in getting involved?
You can:
• Make a tax-deductible donation.
• Become a Sweet Cheeks volunteer.
• Donate diapers.
How To Get Started with Baby Steps
Baby Steps is available for pregnant and parenting moms who have a child under age 2 and are seeking substance-use recovery assistance.
“Baby Steps offers a fully functioning outpatient program that offers all levels of support,” says Bishop. “This can range from weekly meetings with our peer support team to full medication assisted treatment.”
You don’t need a referral to participate in the St. Elizabeth Baby Steps Program.
“We’re here to support pregnant and parenting moms that used substances during their pregnancy and to assist them to connect to resources to better support themselves and their babies,” Bishop adds.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare