"Baby Help" Program Extends Vital Welfare Assistance to Pregnant Women and New Parents

Fewer than five years ago, Jews living in Latin America were primarily self-sufficient, and the JDC's regional work focused on educational and community development. When economic devastation hit though, which virtually overnight saw 25% of Argentine Jews thrown below the poverty line, JDC responded urgently to the crisis.

While JDC continues to sponsor job and leadership training, community planning and Jewish renewal programs, the dire situation also calls for the provision of welfare services: housing, medical care, and food. Upper middle class families of the 1990's found themselves out of work, with parents choosing between eating meals and buying clothes for their children. Significant numbers of Jews were without the means for healthcare, and pregnant women and their newborns became particularly vulnerable.

To address this need, JDC created Baby Help, ("Tinok"), an initiative that lends support to at-risk pregnant women and their children (ages 0-3 years). The program provides them with basic needs: food, vitamins, medications, and hygienic supplies. Infants are given all mandatory vaccines not supplied by the Public Health System, and are guaranteed the Jewish ceremonies of Brit Mila (circumcision) or Simchat-Bat - an expense otherwise unaffordable in these hard times.

The program encourages the healthy development of infants by promoting breast-feeding, as well as early stimulation and education in childcare. Nursery day care is offered to working mothers, and a baby-supply bank provides them with temporary access to strollers, cradles, toys, and other equipment.

Managed by a volunteer professional Committee, Baby Help relies on a Jewish network of pediatricians and psychologists who ensure the welfare of the beneficiaries. Women from the community track the cases and familiarize themselves with the needs of moms and newborns, often acting as liaisons between the patients and the doctors. Many women also volunteer to be "Godmothers", taking personal care of the babies and their mothers when it's needed.

To date, the program has assisted 720 beneficiaries in and around Buenos Aires. By supplying them with vital amenities and the highest quality of care, Baby Help offers pregnant women and their children the opportunity for a healthy, prosperous future.