Having a child is neither easy nor inexpensive, and a Fort Jackson program is here to help.
The Army Community Service’s New Parent Support Program hosted a Community Baby Shower to celebrate parents and to provide information from on and off post agencies they may find helpful.
The shower had tables from providers so parents could speak face-to-face and learn more about what they offer. Parents could also be eligible to win prizes by visiting each table.
“Congratulations on your baby,” said Esperanza Romero, a financial specialist with ACS, during the shower. “So having those little babies, they’re cute, but they’re not very cheap are they?”
The cost to raise a family in 2024 is $313,000 and almost $314,000 for the life of that child, she said. These costs range from the price of formula to the items necessary to raise a child.
“The average cost of a car seat, stroller, high chair can range between $425 to $3,000,” Romero said, adding that childcare outside Fort Jackson for infants can cost $250 to $300 per week.
While this can be scary to new parents there is a silver lining to that rain cloud – ACS has services to help.
Those services include helping “you develop your budget, tweak it to include expenses for your child,” she said.
Other on post activities with representatives who spoke included the Drill Sergeant Timothy Kay Soldier Performance Readiness Center, and the NPSP. Some off post providers to speak included a consultant from Sandhill Pediatrics who spoke about nursing a child and other postpartum issues.
Kimi Maines, a registered dietitian with the 193rd Infantry Brigade Holistic Health and Fitness Team at the SPRC, spoke about how the Army’s Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Training, or P3T, program can help everyone in attendance.
Nutrition is complimentary to physical training, Maines said.
“It’s not just physical training, but nutrition is a huge priority during pregnancy and then postpartum as well, right?” she said. “You know, what you’re putting into your body, what you’re choosing to nourish with, can heavily affect those outcomes, you know, during the delivery process and postpartum.”
Amy Phillipy, registered nurse with the NPSP, rounded out the speakers at the event by saying the NPSP was there for the community.
“Don’t let the name fool you,” Phillipy said, “because each and every child is individually unique. What one didn’t give you a challenge? I guarantee the next, the third, the fourth, someone’s going to give you a curveball, and we’re here for you.”
The program offers services to parents too and helps them with unique challenges military families face.
Sgt. 1st Class Santiago Bermudez, a small group leader at the Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Fort Jackson, said he felt the shower was helping parents like him.
“I think it’s very informative, and I think that it’s setting the basis for the success of new parents, and, you know, these new families,” said Bermudez, who instructs the senior leader course at the academy. “I think they are doing a good job in educating and bringing different resources and professionals to educate us.”
All Soldiers and Family members expecting a child or with children from birth to 3 years are eligible to participate free of charge in NPSP services. Also eligible are activated Reservists, Retirees, and their Families.
For more information about the NPSP, call (803) 751-5256.
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