|
First Lady Cecile de Jongh will launch the Text4baby initiative on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 1:00 PM at the Elainco
Building, in the waiting room of the Maternal and Child Health offices (MCH), across from Nisky Center on St. Thomas. The effort will be launched in cooperation with the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands and the Family Connection. The initiative is supported by the Children and Families Council, chaired by First Lady de Jongh.
Tuesday’s news conference will highlight a free text message service available to women who are pregnant or whose babies are less than one year old. Upon sign-up for the program, recipients receive three text messages per week, with tips on nutrition, health and wellness. Plans are targeted to individual mothers, based on the due date for each pregnancy and are designed to promote maternal and child health.
An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), Text4baby provides pregnant women and new mothers with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. The texts are available in Spanish or English, based on language preference.
The national Text4baby program was launched in February 2010 through a broad coalition of public-private entities that include government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies and non-profit organizations.
First Lady de Jongh, as well as CFVI President Dee Baecher Brown and Family Connection President Ellie Hirsh will deliver remarks at Tuesday’s news conference.
|
