Columnist Sandra Thompson: Program helps parents give infants best care

Sandra Thompson

Sunday, Feb. 20, 2000 | 10:06 a.m.

Sandra Thompson is vice president/associate editor of the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at 259-4025 or by e-mail at thompson@lasvegassun.com.

The weeks-old baby cried and cried. The father was trying to study in the next room; the mother was at work.

The continuous wailing put the father on edge. Unable to concentrate on his studies and unable to soothe the baby, he left the apartment and went to a nearby exercise room to work off his frustration.

When he returned a short time later, he was able to reach his wife who told him to call Family to Family Connection; they would know what to do.

It turned out that the baby had an ear infection, and a trained staff member worked with the parents on how to recognize certain ailments.

In this instance, Family to Family Connection was a lifeline -- not just for the parents but for the baby as well.

"You're at the end of your rope and don't know what to do. That's some of our calls," says Louise Helton, president of one of the Family to Family boards.

In today's mobile society, many new parents don't have nearby family members to consult. So Family to Family Connection becomes a surrogate.

The statewide program, begun in early 1998 by then-Gov. Bob Miller, includes 13 infant support districts, six of which are in the Las Vegas Valley. This particular Family to Family program at 6114 W. Charleston Blvd. covers an area west of Rancho and north of Charleston.

The program is offered free to parents of babies age 0-12 months. The Charleston program hopes to expand to help parents of toddlers with such issues as toilet training, temper tantrums, emotional and intellectual development, and appropriate stimuli for children.

Some of the infant support districts -- or new baby centers -- partner with other agencies or programs such as University Medical Center and St. Rose Dominican Hospital. Trained staff members visit new mothers in area hospitals. In-home services are available free of charge. The centers offer a wide variety of classes on baby care, nutrition, CPR, parenting, child development, play, etc. Books, videos and other learning tools are available to parents.

Dianne Farkas, manager of the Charleston center, says the program aims to empower parents to give newborns the best possible start regarding physical and emotional development.

"Brain development of infants is significantly impacted by the amount and type of stimulation provided by caregivers and the environment," she says. "The first 12 months of a baby's life are critical. They represent over 50 percent of his total lifetime brain development."

The Charleston program has a trained staff of four, including a nurse and licensed therapist, who serve about 600 people a month. Its annual budget is $163,000.

Although the 1997 Legislature had approved $8.1 million to launch the statewide program, funds were slashed about 50 percent when Gov. Kenny Guinn took office in 1999.

Family to Family Connection's future remains tenuous.

"It's being looked at like a lot of (state) programs," says Jack Finn, a spokesman for Guinn. "Whether it will be maintained, eliminated or enhanced remains to be seen."

The review of programs should be completed in late March or early April.

Fearing further cuts -- or worse -- and in response to a demand for services, the Charleston program has become a 501c3 nonprofit organization and is seeking corporate and other sources of funding.

As a child advocate, Helton is proud that Nevada "stepped up to the plate and fully funded a program for children." But, she adds, "It'd be a shame to let it die on the vine."

Indeed. Wouldn't it make more sense and be less costly to help children at the beginning so they can have a chance in life rather than build jails and mental health facilities to handle their problems later on?