At the very heart of this project is the connection of our community’s vibrant population of older people with new babies and their mothers who will benefit from their commitment and life experience. By building long-term relationships with the babies and their mothers, volunteers are critical to the success of BabyCorps and to the well-being of both the mothers and the development of the child.

Each cohort’s nurturing team includes six older volunteers. Each of the six volunteers will commit to developing a long-term, committed relationship with one of the newborns and a secondary relationship with the other children in the cohort. The guide will foster a nurturing relationship with each of the three children. These relationships will create a web of support forming the environment that is harmonious and especially critical during the first 1,000 days of that child’s life. An example of the daily duties of a volunteer in the first months of life include holding a baby in their arms, singing, going for walks, dancing etc. Literally, a goal is to have the infant awaken on the lap of a loving, older-volunteer while in an atmosphere of harmony.

Criteria For Volunteers Volunteers must be willing to:

Make a commitment to being part of a team that shares the joy and challenge of caring for infants.

• Successfully complete the 45-hour training in assertive communication and small group effectiveness. This training can also come in the form of a 3-credit college course that can earn Humanities credit. If volunteers choose the credit path, scholarship funds are available to pay tuition and related costs.

• Must complete all requirements to be licensed as a child care provider in New York State including fingerprinting, background check and training. (The Small Group Communication course/training counts as part of that training.)

• Health Clearance

• No record of child abuse

• No criminal record of consequence