Paul Szmal: It's 8.15 on FLX Morning on Finger Lakes News Radio. We're joined at this time by Julie Champion from Child and Family Resources. Good morning, Julie. How are you today?
Julie Champion: Good morning, Paul. I'm well.
Paul Szmal: I wanted to ask you, I don't think we've ever established this before, how many years has Child and Family Resources been in operation now?
Julie Champion: Well, actually, since 1976. We're approaching our 50th year next year.
Paul Szmal: Wow, that's going to be a big anniversary.
Julie Champion: It sure is. And of course, the planning starts now. So we're pretty excited. But we can't believe it either, 50 years in our communities.
Paul Szmal: And one of the services that you provide and the next installment of which is coming up here at the end of the month is a community baby shower.
Julie Champion: Yes. Every year for our Healthy Families program, we offer community baby showers free to anyone living in Ontario, Seneca, or Yates counties. And the nice thing about these is that they're fun. They provide a lot of information to expectant parents. And we have special speakers sometimes. And we have lots of vendors from around the community, other agencies like us, who help families who are there to share with parents any kind of information that will help make their journey easier.
Paul Szmal: What are some of the items that people receive when they come to these community baby showers, Julie?
Julie Champion: We like to fill a diaper bag with infant bath supplies, some onesies, diapers. And sometimes it depends too on our vendors on what it is they're bringing to share with families. So it's all related to babies and any kind of parenting tips. So we're really excited that this year again we'll have some great diaper bags for those who join us.
Paul Szmal: And also people who attend have a chance to win some prizes too.
Julie Champion: They will. We typically have larger items like pack and plays or high chairs that we like to raffle off and those have either been donated by someone local or through a grant that we offer.
Paul Szmal: We're talking with Julie Champion from Child and Family Resources here on FLX Morning. So the next one is coming up on June 28th. What's the location for that again, Julie?
Julie Champion: The June 28th event is at the Seneca Falls Community Center. And that's from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. It's a Saturday morning. And we've been at the community center previously for one of our showers and we're really excited. It's a lot of space. It will hold a lot of people.
Paul Szmal: And is there pre-registration required for this?
Julie Champion: There is. We ask folks to call or text Sarah and I can say the number is 315-412-4527. And that's just to register so that we can make sure we have enough supplies on hand.
Paul Szmal: And one of the other programs that you have is neat. I love the name of it. It's called the Stay and Play Program.
Julie Champion: Yes. The Stay and Play Program is in our Penn Yan office. And this program is also funded by a grant from New York State Trust Fund. And the cool thing about this is that if parents need to drop their children off just so they can take a breath, run to an appointment, go get groceries, or just relax, our Stay and Play is open on Tuesdays in June, June 3rd, June 10th, June 17th, and the 24th. And that's from 1 to 3.30 PM. And we are at 263 Lake Street in Penn Yan. We have a great early childhood space. It's open to children ages 18 months and older. We have trained staff who are there to set up the environment with fun activities. We'll provide a snack. And it's really cool in that parents can feel that their children are safe, that their children are having a fun moment, and maybe meeting some friends. And it's a fun activity for kids.
Paul Szmal: And how do parents get involved in the Stay and Play Program?
Julie Champion: Well, there is a registration process. And we ask that folks come in and visit so that they get a sense of what the space looks like and what our policies and procedures are. And then that way, they can bring their child and their child can check out the space and be a little more excited about coming to play. And the other component to this is we ask that parents make sure that they come and pick their children up at the end of program. We are a drop-in program. So we have to keep the offering at less than three hours a day when we do offer. And the other piece is once they've completed their registration, they can just call us and say, hey, I'd like to bring my child over. And we typically have a spot. If we're full, we'll let them know. Or they can just drop by.
Paul Szmal: Okay. Okay. And the activities involved range for a variety of ages, I imagine.
Julie Champion: Yes. It's actually four months to six years old. I misspoke at 18 months. So yeah, we have infant toys and have a safe space for infants as well as up to age six. All sorts of toys and games as well.
Paul Szmal: That sounds like it would be a great way to even just take a little break if you needed to.
Julie Champion: Mm-hmm. Definitely. That's why we created it. We have a lot of parents who are saying, hey, I need to breathe. We have a lot of single parents who don't get a break. And they want to be able to go to the grocery store without their toddler. And as you know, that can be difficult at times.
Paul Szmal: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Shopping with children of any kind can be a challenge.
Julie Champion: Yes, for sure. So we really hope that folks will join us. And we actually are starting some new hours for the summer, July and August. We're switching our day from Tuesdays to Thursdays. And the time frame will be from 9 to 1130 on Thursdays in the months of July and August.
Paul Szmal: Right. Right. Now, if parents want to register for the Stay and Play program or find out more information about it, Julie, how do they go about doing that?
Julie Champion: They can just give us a call at our Pennian office. 315-536-1134. And they can either ask for Natalie or Amanda, and they'll help them with the registration paperwork and give them a tour.
Paul Szmal: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Julie. We appreciate the information, as always.
Julie Champion: Thank you, Paul. We'll see you next month.
Paul Szmal: Absolutely. It is 823 on FLX Morning.
