|
||||||||||
|
www.nysconsumer.gov www.otda.state.ny.us www.amc.edu |
Contacts: | Deborah Sturm Rausch, CPB - 518-473-9472 Michael Hayes, OTDA – 518-474-9516 Sue Ford, AMC – 518-262-3421l – 315-703-2132 |
| For Immediate Release: March 19, 2008 | ||
| | ||
New York’s “Safe Babies” Program Announced for New ParentsNew York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) and Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) Join Together on Behalf of Albany Babies |
|
The NYS Consumer Protection Board (CPB) joined with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) today to launch its new Safe Babies Program at the Albany Medical Center. The program is designed to provide important information to new parents in an effort to help and protect New York’s youngest residents.
The CPB’s new “Formula for Keeping Babies Safe,” the centerpiece of the initiative, provides consumers with a starter kit containing useful tips and tools for expectant mothers and fathers or new parents. It is of critical importance to people who may not have access to such resources, including a budget planning guide, babysitter memo pad, growth chart, water temperature tester and more. “Becoming a new parent is one of the greatest joys in life, but it can also be one of the most stressful times for people,” said Mindy A. Bockstein, Chairperson and Executive Director of the CPB. “The CPB seeks to assist new parents in obtaining information and tools to make their lives easier and keep their babies safer. We are pleased to launch our Safe Babies Program, and “Formula for Safe Babies Kit,” to help parents deal with the present and prepare for the future of their families.” “By working with OTDA and strategic hospital partners, including the Albany Medical Center, we are assuring this new tool will reach its target audience,” said Bockstein. “Planning for expenses associated with a new baby may seem a bit daunting, but our Baby Budget Planning Guide, part of our Money Maps program, will help make this aspect of parenting easier for new moms and dads. This and other tools in the Kit are now available for New Yorkers.” OTDA, which included a “Drivers Manual for New Dads,” in the kits, also unveiled its new paternity establishment video, which is used by hospitals to explain to new parents, particularly unwed mothers, the legal and practical issues concerning establishing paternity. “Our ‘Driver’s Manual for New Dads’ is designed to provide young fathers with basic yet important information that can help them care for their new baby and partner,” said OTDA Commissioner David Hansell. “Studies continually show that children who receive emotional and financial support from both parents enjoy a greater chance at success as they grow older.” James J. Barba, President and Chief Executive Officer, at the Albany Medical Center said, “These informational kits will provide an outstanding complement to the educational outreach efforts that Albany Medical Center staff members already provide to all new parents," said James J. Barba, president and chief executive officer at Albany Medical Center. "We commend the Consumer Protection Board and the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance for this effort designed to ensure that all individuals are equipped with helpful information as they begin the exciting journey as a new parent." During 2006 the statewide hospital acknowledgement rate was about 66 percent and 40 percent of all births occurred out-of-wedlock. “Our goal is to help unmarried parents understand the process they need to follow in order to establish paternity for their child. This is essential to making sure children receive the parental and financial support they deserve,” said Hansell. The CPB and OTDA also teamed up with two additional major hospitals, Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester and St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, to bring information to people at the grassroots level in those communities, and is providing the Kit for distribution at those locations as part of the initiative’s launch. Spanish-language kits will be available by special order. The Kit is available to others upon request, and many resources will be available for download from the CPB’s website: www.nysconsumer.gov. “This program and kit will help babies and parents start off right and dream about safe and bright tomorrows,” concluded Bockstein. OTDA’s Drivers Manual is currently available in Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Haitian Creole. OTDA is charged with administering programs designed to increase the economic security of low-income families and enhancing child well being and reducing child poverty. These include public assistance, food assistance, energy assistance, child support and fatherhood programs and programs for refugees and immigrants. To file a consumer complaint with the NYS Consumer Protection Board (CPB), call our toll-free hotline at 800-697-1220 or visit CPB’s website at www.nysconsumer.gov. In addition to the online complaint form, the website is home to important consumer safety information. To join the CPB’s Do Not Call Reminder list, send an e-mail to CPB's Do Not Call Reminder list |