Our Programs

+ New/Expectant Parents Program

Pregnant womanThe New/Expectant Parents Program is designed to change the landscape of underserved and economically challenged neighborhoods by addressing one of the major needs to building a healthy foundation for a child, good parenting models. This program’s immediate goal is to provide services that will equip participants with the parental building blocks to nurture their child’s development. Our desire is to serve with and journey alongside these families as they help shape, build, and support the UBB school that will eventually become the driving force for long-term change in their community. With their help, we will create a school that meets the holistic needs of the community children and parents we serve. Our ultimate hope is to facilitate the development of healthy families and responsible citizens that will make a positive impact in their communities and beyond.

We will accomplish this goal by partnering with local organizations to provide each participant Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Spiritual (PIES) parental mentoring and counseling. We hope each program participant will engage in PIES mentoring for at least one year.

Number of Participating Parents: We are looking for 4 to 12 participating parents, divided into two groups (maximum of 6 parents per group): (1) first time parents and (2) parents with multiple children.

+ Services Provided

We plan to start the program in Summer 2010. Program sessions will be held every other Saturday. Initially, sessions will cover the following topics*:

  1. Physical (Macro Needs)

    • Nutrition Training for parent AND child
      1. How to eat properly
      2. Where and how to get good nutrition (Whole Foods, Giant (Peapod) deliveries, etc.)
      3. Cooking 101
    • Safe home environment
      1. Child proofing
      2. Cleaning
      3. Child vs. parent space
    • Physical exercise
      1. Personal training
      2. Yoga
      3. Music and relaxation
    • Prenatal care
      1. Places to get services
      2. Connect to physicians and nurses
    • Parent’s time off (day out, rest)

  2. Intellectual

    • Literacy and Reading tools
    • Age-appropriate activities for young ones (Gymboree, Imagination Stage, The Puppet Co., etc.)
    • Educational TV programs
    • Quick kid activities
    • Discipline Paradigms
    • What to Expect at different ages

  3. Emotional needs

    • Stress management
    • Time out for mom and/or dad
    • Communication techniques (“don’t yell, tell”)
    • Loving guidance and assurance
    • Support network (friends and mentors)

  4. Spiritual needs

    • Parenting built on the foundation and love of Christ

*The services we plan to offer at program inception will change and evolve as we better understand the needs of participating parents.

+ You Can Help

You can help this program succeed by volunteering your time and/or resources. We aim to create a mixed tribe of mentors and volunteers, who will make at least a six-month commitment. Specifically, we are looking for parent mentors (1) at various life stages and (2) who have children in varying age groups (including toddlers, pre-teens, teens, and/or college plus). Additionally, we are seeking parents who have children with learning or developmental challenges, as well as parents who may have experienced the loss of a child due to death and/or abortion.

We also need volunteers with diverse skill sets, including, but not limited, medical, legal, grant-writing, administration, and event planning. Our mentors will work directly with parent participants, while volunteers will help to support the program’s administrative and professional needs.

Specifically, we are looking for:

  • 3 additional co-leaders to help oversee and shape program content
  • 4 to 8 Parent mentors
  • Volunteers
    • With specialized experience in any of the following areas, and who can provide a workshop overview for the participating parents: obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, child psychology/psychiatry, special education, early childhood education, nutrition;
    • At least 12 babysitters, ideally each committing to at least 2 Saturdays per year.
    • 2 individuals who can offer research and community-relations support by helping identify potential local partnering service providers to serve and meet the needs of participating parents
    • 2 individuals skilled in grant writing /li>

If you are interested in volunteering with UBB, please click here to (1) create a user name and password and (2) fill out a brief survey telling us more about yourself and how you would like to work with us.