Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation Awards Grant for Catholic Charities Parenting Program | Families

BUFFALO, N.Y., May 24, 2012 – Catholic Charities of Buffalo has received a $25,000 grant renewal from the Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation (MECF), an organization dedicated to ensuring healthy babies and services for parents across New York State, to support its Young Parents Program (YPP), which provides parent education and home visitation services to Erie County residents.

The grant reflects a portion of the funds made available to serve young, low-income, expectant and new parents throughout the state in high-need areas where services are often limited. The MECF has been providing financial support to Catholic Charities YPP since 1984.

The YPP provides education and support to pregnant and/or parenting individuals ages 12-25. Services include two Catholic Charities’ parenting programs, as well as prenatal and parenting educational classes offered through the Ken-Ton Family Health Center and Mercy Hospital of Buffalo OB-GYN Health Center.

The two parenting programs are a home-based version, which works with first-time or young parents over a series of sessions to help develop a foundation of skills to increase their parenting competency before and after the child is born; and the Incredible Years, a 12-week evidence-based program which also can provide transitional housing and supportive services to homeless, single parent families. The Incredible Years is conducted twice a year and teaches the core competencies of supporting healthy, safe and nurturing environments for children to grow.

In 2011, the YPP served 127 individuals.

Catholic Charities’ YPP has been offering the prenatal and parenting education classes and the home-based parenting program since 1984 while the Incredible Years has been assisting families for about five years.

“A healthy start in life for children creates the foundation for a bright future, both physically and mentally,” said Dennis Walczyk, Catholic Charities chief executive officer. “Being able to continue to offer these essential services ensures young and expecting parents can learn the proper skills to provide a healthy environment for their children to grow and succeed.”

For more information about the Young Parents Program, call 856-4494, ext. 370,

The MECF has been supporting services for young parents for nearly 30 years. The organization’s goals are healthy babies, children ready to learn and parents who provide a nurturing environment for their children to reach their personal goals for success. Learn more at www.mecfny.org.

Catholic Charities is the most comprehensive human service provider serving all eight counties of Western New York, with 70 programs and 61 locations. Founded in 1923, Catholic Charities also provides, without regard to religious affiliation, comprehensive counseling services for children and families, anti-domestic violence programming and emergency services, among other social and mental health services.

For more information about this and other Catholic Charities services, go to www.ccwny.org. Check out Catholic Charities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ccbuffalo and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ccbuffalo.  

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