Grant funding is helping the Saline County Health Department revive a program which benefits new parents and their infant children.

According to the health department, thanks to a generous $5,000 grant from the Greater Salina Community Foundation, they are able to reestablish “Incredible Years-Parents and Babies” program.

“We are incredibly thankful to The Greater Salina Community Foundation for their generous grant, which enables us to bring back the ‘Incredible Years-Parents and Babies’ program,” said Sherri Dockter, Maternal Child Health/Becoming a Mom® Coordinator at the Saline County Health Department. “These parenting classes have been shown to improve parent-child bonding and interactions, by building positive relationships and attachment.”

This evidence-based initiative, which had previously been initiated in 2018 but was discontinued in 2019 due to staffing changes and further delayed due to the pandemic, is now set to make a triumphant return to Saline County and surrounding communities.

The “Incredible Years-Parents and Babies” program is designed to provide hands-on learning opportunities for new parents and their infants. With a strong focus on fostering peer support networks and shared learning, the program equips parents with the knowledge and skills to create a loving and secure environment, nurturing their babies’ physical and language development.

“Parents are the major influence on their children’s lives. Families are now under more pressure than ever before, facing an increasingly complex set of responsibilities and demands in our society today,” explained Dockter. “We will be able to offer more program support through our current prenatal and postpartum services. We will be able to offer on-going case management services past the class participation end dates. Providing families with ongoing support and educational tools throughout their parenting journey is crucial.”

The grant will funds will be allocated for class refreshments, developmental toys used during class, incentives for class completion, office supplies, and developmental books.

This revival aligns seamlessly with the Saline County Health Department’s mission to build a healthy and equitable future for families and communities by providing education and care, supporting policy development, and growing partnerships to connect people with essential resources and services.

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