Welcome Newborns Delta-Schoolcraft Joins Schoolcraft Tourism & Commerce

June 2025 - Schoolcraft Tourism & Commerce (STC) is proud to welcome

Welcome Newborns Delta- Schoolcraft as a new member, bringing vital support

and resources to families in our region. This community-based program offers

parents information on parenting, child development, and community

resources. The program is available to all Delta and Schoolcraft County

families regardless of income or where their baby was born.

To help the community get to know more about the program, we spoke with

the Welcome Newborns team to answer a few common questions about their

services and how local families can get involved.

When was the program launched, and what inspired its creation?

In 1995, a baby was brought into our local hospital emergency room severely

abused. The attending Physician and the Director of Nursing decided to do

something to help our parents in Delta County. A meeting of community-minded

people took place and the Welcome Newborns program was created. Established in

1996, our Welcome Newborns mission remains the same - to promote the well-

being of children, improve parent-child relations and prevent child abuse and

neglect.

Can you give us an overview of the Welcome Newborns Program and how it

serves families in Delta & Schoolcraft Counties?

It was recently brought to our attention that Schoolcraft County did not currently

have a Children Trust Michigan Prevention Partner. Last Spring, our Community

Action Agency Head Start and Early Head Start Program Director contacted Children

Trust Michigan and began looking at the possibility of combining two counties -

Delta & Schoolcraft Counties. Our Welcome Newborns program of Delta County has a long-standing history of working with Schoolcraft County's program that was

similar to our Welcome Newborns program of Delta County. Effective October 2024,

Children Trust Michigan entrusted our Delta County Prevention Partner to add

Schoolcraft County to its coverage. The services that our Welcome Newborns

program offered to Delta County families are now available to Schoolcraft County

families at no cost.

What organization or partners are involved in bringing this program to our

communities?

Welcome Newborns has been a Local Council for Michigan's Children's Trust Fund beginning in the year 2000. As a Prevention Partner for Children's Trust Fund, now known as Children Trust Michigan, our program is one of 83 counties throughout the State of Michigan that is supported by CTM. The focus of CTM provides

education, guidance and resources and works with their network of partners to

build and strengthen families so children can live safely and happily. With the

permission of CTM, each Primary Prevention Partner throughout the State of

Michigan is able to focus on a need for their particular county. Our program focuses

on Child Abuse and Neglect and Prevention issues including Shaken Baby

Syndrome Prevention. One of our additional main focuses is on SIDS Risk

Prevention and Baby Safe Sleep. Through the guidance and financial support of

Children Trust Michigan and other local partners, we have been able to provide

parents with the knowledge, skills and resources that they need to care for their

children. We are a non-profit collaborative interagency program sustained by

individuals, community leaders, and other non-profit groups. Welcome Newborns

does not receive any continuation of funding from any of these sources. Funding is

subject to the availability of funds for the current year. Developed by the

Community Foundation of Delta County, the Welcome Newborns - "Help For

Healthy Beginnings" program was established in 1996. New parents are eligible to

receive a Welcome Newborns Tote Bag filled with information on parenting, child

development, health and safety, immunization schedules, and community

resources that are available in both Delta and Schoolcraft Counties. Free Parenting

Newsletters are also available. Easy to read and proven effective "Parenting the First Year" and "Parenting the Second and Third Year" newsletters will be mailed directly to their home each month at the request of the parents.

Are there any specific items or information included in the Welcome

Newborns Tote Bags?

Tote Bags are filled with parenting, child development and community resources

specific to Delta or Schoolcraft County. The tote bags are available following the last

three months of pregnancy or after their baby's birth. Families are encouraged to

complete a registration card that is attached to their tote bag and they will receive

three years of age-specific newsletters mailed directly to their home each month.

These newsletters give helpful hints for parents on their baby's development,

parenting tips and family support information.

Who is eligible for the Welcome Newborns Program?

All Delta and Schoolcraft County parents are eligible for Welcome Newborns Services.

Is there any cost to participate in the program?

All services provided by the Welcome Newborns Program are available at no cost to

both Delta and Schoolcraft County families regardless of income or where their

baby was born.

How many families are currently enrolled in the program?

456 Families

What are your goals for expanding or improving the program in the future?

Our goal is to provide the same services that we have been providing to Delta

County families for over 25 years to our Schoolcraft County families. These services

include: Educating new parents, grandparents, caregivers, siblings, babysitters and

caregivers about: SIDS Risk Prevention, Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention,

Distracted Parenting information and the importance of encouraging parents to

read to their babies right from the start to name a few.

Where can families go to learn more or get in touch with someone from the

Welcome Newborns team?

Although we are connected to Local Health Departments, Hospitals and Head Start

Offices in both Delta and Schoolcraft Counties, The Welcome Newborns Program's

main office is located at:

MDS Community Action Agency Early Childhood Program

507 1st Avenue North,

Escanaba, Michigan 49829

Phone: (906) 786-7080 Extension 143

Email Address: rberg@mdsecp.org

STC encourages community members to help spread the word about this valuable

program now available in our county. For more information, visit:

Website: https://www.mdscaa.org/our-services/welcome-newborns-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welcomenewborns

or call (906) 786-7080