April 18, 2020
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon/on Unsplash
The City of Philadelphia has launched a new program offering supplies to pregnant women and mothers of young children amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Free baby food, cribs, diapers, and more can be picked up at certain locations throughout the city under a new program launched to respond to challenges caused by the global health crisis.
The city of Philadelphia has set up distribution sites offering free supplies for mothers and pregnant women in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
An initiative launched this week will provide free baby food, diapers, and free cribs available for pickup at locations throughout Philly, the city announced Wednesday. Breastfeeding support, and virtual pregnancy and family support programs are also being shared to connect mothers to online aid with caring for their children during the crisis.
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health, who launched the program, says that it was made for individuals who are pregnant, caring for an infant, or caring for a toddler. In some cases, services and supplies are set up for distribution through outside organizations, so the city recommends calling those places directly for more information.
A list of the distribution sites and online services are available here.
For breastfeeding support, the city is offering help through the app Pacify. Once downloaded, a promotional code provided by the city gives access to app services.
In terms of supplies, many of the distribution sites require an appointment and need to be called before supplies can be picked up. Participating organizations include the Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network, Catholic Social Services, Catholic Community Services, the Mighty Writers, and more.
Free cribs are being made available through the Maternity Care Coalition, which will deliver free Pack n' Play cribs to families in need. To get a crib, call 215-989-3589 or fill out the online form first.
Philly's online pregnancy and family support programs are being offered through another list of organizations available on their site. Services will be provided over the phone or by video chat to those seeking it.
The city said that these programs meant to help residents caring for children, who are dealing with another element of change to manage than others during the public health crisis.
"We know that COVID-19 adds another layer of uncertainty to the experiences of pregnancy and having an infant or toddler," the city said in the program announcement.
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