VALDOSTA — South Georgia Medical Center is hosting a new program designed to make new parents aware of community resources.

The program, named Talk with Me Baby, is funded through the Georgia Department of Public Health, and is made possible thanks to a grant from the United Way of Atlanta. The Talk with Me Baby program is locally administered by the Georgia Home Visiting Program for Lowndes County.

 “We visit new parents at SGMC on Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” said Program Director Berinda Nwakamma. “Over the past 90 days, we have visited approximately 215 families and have referred 40 families to our First Steps program.”

The First Steps program, Nwakamma says, is designed to provide new parents with access to a community resource guide and information on child health, safety, and school readiness. 

“We provide parents with a complimentary baby bib that reads, ‘Feed Me Words,’” said Nwakamma. “We recommend reading early and often since there is a correlation between literacy and brain growth. Using the Parents as Teachers curriculum, we educate patients that 85 percent of brain growth occurs in the first three years of life.”

“This program offers important free resources for our patients and babies. It’s a great opportunity to bridge the word gap and promote literacy and other family-focused resources.” said Cathy Swilley, RN, Director of the Women and Children Unit at South Georgia Medical Center. 

For more information on the Talk with Me Baby program, contact Berinda Nwakamma at (229) 671-8462.