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www.nysconsumer.gov www.otda.state.ny.us www.urmc.rochester.edu |
Contacts: | Deborah Sturm Rausch, CPB - 518-473-9472 Michael Hayes, OTDA – 518-474-9516 Leslie Orr, URMC – 585-275-5774 |
| For Immediate Release: March 19, 2008 | ||
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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 Rochester Babies |
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New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) and Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) Join Together on Behalf of Rochester 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 Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY. 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 Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, 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.” "We are happy to be a part of New York State's initiative to promote families' involvement in making their home a safe and nurturing place for their new baby, “ said Deborah Phillips, RN, MS, Associate Director, Ob/Gyn Nursing for Strong Memorial Hospital. “The ‘tools’ that are included in the starter kits will enable families to leave the hospital with tangible items to help them provide a safe environment. The emphasis on educating new dads to their role and responsibility is a focus that is not always recognized in materials give to new parents. This will be a valuable addition to the Strong Beginnings education materials provided to our new families at the University of Rochester Medical Center." 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, the Albany Medical Center 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. The NYS CPB, established in 1970 by the New York State Legislature, is the State's top consumer watchdog and think tank. The CPB's core mission is to protect New Yorkers by publicizing unscrupulous and questionable business practices and product recalls; conducting investigations and hearings; enforcing the “Do Not Call” law; researching issues; developing legislation; creating consumer education programs and materials; responding to individual marketplace complaints by securing voluntary agreements; and, representing the interests of consumers before the Public Service Commission and other State and federal agencies. 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 |