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Resources for Parents

WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Nutrition Program

WIC provides nutritious foods to low-income pregnant or breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age five. These foods include:

Low-fat or fat-free milk
Whole grains
Vegetables
Fruits
Breastfeeding support or formula

To determine if this program is right for you, click here for eligibility guidelines.

To apply for the WIC program, please contact a Catholic Charities WIC program office.

Parenting Classes

Having a baby? How wonderful...and how challenging! Anyone who’s ever had new baby knows the flood of emotions it brings: from joy to amazement, to feeling stressed and overwhelmed. New parents worry about caring for their newborn and want what is best for their baby.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were someone to talk to about those concerns, and answer questions about baby’s health and care? Now there is! Ready, Set, Parent! is here to help.

Ready, Set, Parent!, a national award-winning program, is a collaboration of EPIC – Every Person Influences Children, and Baker Victory Services.

Getting Started

A Ready, Set, Parent! coordinator will visit you in your hospital room after the birth of your child at either Mercy Hospital of Buffalo or Sisters Hospital to provide parenting resources and invite you to an informative class for parents of newborns.

Parents are then invited to attend free weekly workshops for parents of infants and toddlers at area birthing hospitals and community locations throughout Western New York. Parents may participate in eight workshops, in which they will learn:

How to understand and respond to signals babies give
Effective coping methods for parents and baby
How to help baby sleep alone peacefully
Proper nutrition for infants
Why playtime is more than fun time
Why routines are so important
How to set reasonable, age-appropriate limits for your child
How to make the home child-friendly and how to recognize illnesses
How voice and actions influence even tiny babies and how reading activites make a difference

All workshops are free and are open to the public. Fisher Price toys provided at select workshops. Free snacks are provided, and free childcare is available at the some locations.