Mazel tov! It’s a boy/girl!
Mazel tov new parents! Now that you are back home and throwing yourself into parenting, you might decide to review the financial aspects of parenting as well. It’s important to be aware of public and communal resources that may slip past your notice. Here are some programs and resources that you may find useful.
FOOD
Looking for support in purchasing the food items your child needs? Maryland WIC provides cost-free foods and support for pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under age five. WIC participants enjoy benefits such as nutrition education, breastfeeding support, free healthy food, and referral to other health and social agencies. To see if you qualify, or to find out more, visit https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/wic/Pages/participants.aspx. To apply, call your county WIC office. (In Baltimore City, try 410-396-9427; in Baltimore County, try 410-887-6000.)
CAR SEATS
Buying a safe car seat is one of the important purchasing decisions you will need to make as a parent. But you’ll also need to make sure you know how to install the seat correctly – some studies have found that as many as 45% of parents don’t install their child’s car seat correctly. Here are some resources who can help you with car seat and booster installation and purchase:
- KIDS IN SAFETY SEATS (KISS) is a state-funded program dedicated to helping people obtain and use car seats and boosters correctly and safely. In addition to in-person technical assistance and car seat checkup events, KISS also operates a purchase program for financially eligible families, helping them to obtain seats at reduced costs. To find out more, call 800-370-SEAT (7328), email mdh.kiss@maryland.gov, or visit https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OEHFP/KISS/Pages/Home.aspx.
- SAFE KIDS BALTIMORE The Baltimore City Fire Department works with Safe Kids Baltimore by organizing car seat check events on the first Friday of every month. (NOTE: events may be postponed due to the pandemic.) The installation visit helps parents/guardians answer some important questions such as, “ When is it safe to turn my child forward facing?” “When is it safe for my child to stop using a booster seat?” To find out more, call 410-328-7532 or email khardingham@umm.edu.
CAR SEATS
Buying a safe car seat is one of the important purchasing decisions you will need to make as a parent. But you’ll also need to make sure you know how to install the seat correctly – some studies have found that as many as 45% of parents don’t install their child’s car seat correctly. Here are some resources who can help you with car seat and booster installation and purchase:
- KIDS IN SAFETY SEATS (KISS) is a state-funded program dedicated to helping people obtain and use car seats and boosters correctly and safely. In addition to in-person technical assistance and car seat checkup events, KISS also operates a purchase program for financially eligible families, helping them to obtain seats at reduced costs. To find out more, call 800-370-SEAT (7328), email mdh.kiss@maryland.gov, or visit https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OEHFP/KISS/Pages/Home.aspx.
- SAFE KIDS BALTIMORE The Baltimore City Fire Department works with Safe Kids Baltimore by organizing car seat check events on the first Friday of every month. (NOTE: events may be postponed due to the pandemic.) The installation visit helps parents/guardians answer some important questions such as, “ When is it safe to turn my child forward facing?” “When is it safe for my child to stop using a booster seat?” To find out more, call 410-328-7532 or email khardingham@umm.edu.
- THE CAR SEAT LADY Originally only Debbie Baer, and now with her daughter Alissa and with Emily Levine, the Car Seat Lady offers help in all things car seat! To book a free lesson in finding the right car seat, proper usage of a car seat, and more, visit https://thecarseatlady.com/lessons/.
529/STATE CONTRIBUTION PROGRAM
Your child may not be in school yet, but it’s not too early to start putting away money for your child’s education expenses – especially if you can actually receive government funds while doing so! Opening a 529 account allows you to save for your child’s tuition without having to pay taxes on the money, and even allows you to claim a tax deduction for the money you put in. And that’s not all. Under Maryland’s State Contribution Program, you and your spouse can actually receive $250 or $500 from the State of Maryland to use for your child’s education. For more information and for eligibility, check out https://agudathisrael-md.org/529-2/, or visit https://maryland529.com/Save4College/State-Contribution-Program.
CHILD CARE VOUCHERS
Paying for child care can be costly. Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program provides financial assistance with child care costs to eligible working families in Maryland by paying part of the price of care. Eligible families receive payment vouchers to cover part of their child care costs. Families take the vouchers to participating child care providers and pay their assigned co-payment. The provider then returns the voucher to the State to receive the additional portion of the payment. For more information, visit https://agudathisrael-md.org/child-care/, or https://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/child-care-providers/child-care-scholarship-program. And, due to advocacy efforts, expanded eligibility guidelines now allows parents in graduate or professional programs (such as medical school, law school, AND kollel) to qualify for CCS.