STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
Date: Regular Meeting of February 27, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Christopher Roke, Parks and Recreation Director SUBJECT: Request for Information Regarding a Welcome Baby Event RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive information regarding a Welcome Baby event and provide direction, if any.
BACKGROUND:
On January 9, 2024, Councilmember Alex Walker Griffin requested staff to research the possibility of hosting an event called Welcome Baby and report back. The example of a Welcome Baby provided was based on an event held in the City of Montebello, California. The concept is similar to the Senior Health Fair held at the Senior Center last spring where groups/agencies were invited to provide opportunities, services, programs, and more to seniors.
Further staff research revealed that Welcome Baby Programs are generally offered as ongoing services typically run by hospitals or medical facilities. There are a few programs that are run through groups like First 5 or Planned Parenthood, but all Welcome Baby programs are designed to connect a member of a hospital or medical facility directly to new mothers (and/or parents) after a baby arrives. The Welcome Baby event in the City of Montebello was organized and led by the Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital as part of their larger program to promote healthy pregnancies and early infant care to expecting mothers and families. The City of Montebello’s involvement in the actual event was limited to staffing a City booth promoting City services and amenities.
ANALYSIS:
At the request of the City Council, staff researched Welcome Baby Events and Programs in other jurisdictions to see if a similar event would be feasible in Hercules. As mentioned in the background section above, we found that these programs are offered by medical centers and staffed by healthcare professionals such as nurses who provide instruction in breastfeeding and social workers who assist in enrolling program participants in health insurance plans such as Covered California. Other programs like First 5, and other County run programs strive to ensure that newborns and their families receive the much-needed assistance in low-income situations.
Since the City does not have the expertise or dedicated resources for this type of program, staff would need to research further to try to identify potential partners to bring a Welcome Baby event, similar to the one held in the City of Montebello, to the City of Hercules.
Should this be the direction given by the Council, staff could look for appropriate partners to bring this event to the City (i.e. Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Kaiser, or John Muir). Some of the groups that may be willing to be a part of an event like this may include Richmond City Rides, Urban Tilth, Black Infant Health, Early Childhood Medical Health, BACR (Bay Area Community Resources), First 5, and Aspiranet.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with providing this informational report. Should the City Council choose to move forward with hosting a Welcome Baby Event, additional funding would need to be identified as it is not a budgeted item.
ATTACHMENTS:
Welcome Baby event flyer City of Montebello
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