Community partners come together for babies’ first 1,000 days

In Sarasota County, 52% of babies are born into low-income families who often lack stable housing, food, health insurance and other resources needed for a child’s development.

On April 25, 32 organizations led by the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation launched the First 1,000 Days Sarasota County campaign, which will seek ways to support low-income families during their babies’ most critical period of development.

Organizations involved with the initiative have pledged to raise $1 million for a three-year pilot program to connect families in need to a system of care. In January 2017, the Barancik Foundation began assembling a coalition of nonprofits, government agencies and foundations to address four key issues related to providing a continuum of care for families in need: prenatal care, education, access to healthcare and data building. Barancik Foundation CEO Teri Hansen said she hopes to grow its list of partners, which includes lead partner Sarasota Memorial Hospital, All Faiths Food Bank, Children First, Forty Carrots Family Center and Healthy Start of Sarasota County.

“We need to let our community know that there are babies being born into our community who have absolutely no resources,” Hansen said during the campaign launch at Sarasota Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, April 25. “We have the resources, but there is no way for them to understand how to access them or get to them.  We need to ring the bell for those children. It really is going to take a community effort.”