Early Years 2014

2014

E arlyYears A Resource Guide for Parents

Picky eaters PAGE 2

There’s hope for getting kids to eat their veggies

Sharing joy PAGE 7 The best legacy you can leave is happiness

Read to them! PAGE 2 It’s never too early to get hooked on books

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014, ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES

Story

time

AMANDA COWAN/EARLY YEARS

Above, Constanza Maureira of Corvallis, right, joins baby Julieta, 9 months, as they listen to youth service librarian Dana Campbell during Infant Storytime at the Corvallis-Benton County Library. At right, Chelsea and Camille Armentano of Corvallis take part in the songs and stories.

BY DENISE RUTTAN FOR EARLY YEARS

I

s it ever too early to introduce your little ones to a love of reading?

It’s never too early, or so says the American Academy of Pediatrics. The professional organization in June called for pediatricians to advise parents to read aloud to their young children, even those as young as infants. Reading aloud to little ones improves their language skills and literacy abilities, the academy said.

In light of those recommendations, Early Years asked a local librarian and a bookstore manager for their suggestions for the best new books for babies ages 0-2.

Kristin Starnes, youth services librarian for the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, recommended the titles below to hook your youngest kids on books. She also summarized why she picked each book.

• “Who Can Jump?”

by Sebastien Braun. Simple is often best when it comes to books for the youngest listeners. In this interactive lift-the-flap book, the simple question of the title is repeated on each page accompanied by clear illustrations that are just right for toddlers.

• “Global Baby Boys and Global Baby Girls” (Global Fund for Children). Babies love looking at other babies.

These board books celebrate diversity with photographs of adorable babies from around the world and the message that each baby is unique, important, and can grow up to be anything.

• “Honk! Honk! Baa, Baa!” by Petr Horácek. A cow, cat, dog, pig, and donkey join a goose and sheep for a noisy exploration of animal sounds. Bright, colorful illustrations will attract babies and toddlers.

• “Planes Go” by Steve Light. Previous popular titles by Light have featured

FYI Here are just a few of the places to find books for infants in the mid-valley: • Corvallis-Benton County Public Library — 645 N.W. Monroe Ave., Corvallis. 541-766-6926.

• Albany Public Library — 2450 14th Ave. S.E., Albany. 541-917-7580.

• Lebanon Public Library — 55 Academy St., Lebanon. 541-258-4926 • Grass Roots Books & Music — 227 S.W. Second St., Corvallis. 541-754-7668.

• The Book Bin Corvallis — 215 S.W. Fourth St., Corvallis. 541-752-0040.

• The Toy Factory — 442 S.W. Second St., Corvallis.

541-758-5415. other forms of transportation and encouraged playing with sounds with the onomatopoeic text. In “Planes Go,” busy babies and tod-

dlers can explore the sounds (“wwwwwwwhhhiiiirr”) of a variety of winged aircraft.

For a few more choices, Tiffany Jordan, the general floor manager and children’s book buyer at Grass Roots Books & Music, sounded off on her suggestions as well. She came to the Corvallis bookstore with nearly 15 years’ experience managing a children’s-only independent bookstore in the San Fernando Valley of California.

• “Books Always Everywhere,” by Jane Blatt, illustrated by Sarah Massini (Random House Children’s Books). In this hardcover picture book, cheery watercolor illustrations depict happy babies and toddlers engaging with books of all sorts. The short, rhyming text (“Book give/Book share/ Books always…/…everywhere) will soon have youngsters chiming in as they celebrate the written word.

• The bright colors and

patterns — a ladybug’s dots, a bee’s stripes — in Priddy Books’ “Busy Bugs” (St. Martin’s Press) cloth book will engage even the youngest babies. Grownups can point and name the insects inside, identify colors and count legs, wings and antennae to their listeners’ delight.

• “Zoom, Zoom, Baby!” (Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Divisions) is the newest lift-the-flap board book by Karen Katz. Babies and tod-

dlers search for Baby behind big flaps, easy for small hands to lift, in various vehicles — boat, bus, plane, train, truck, and car. Vivid colors and bold patterns add visual appeal in this tactile game of hide and seek.

“Reading aloud can be a bonding experience for parent and child — plus it’s just plain fun for both reader and listener,” Jordan said. “And infants acquire language by listening. Fortunately, wonderful book choices abound.”

ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014

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How to get picky kids to eat their spinach

BY DENISE RUTTAN

D

FOR EARLY YEARS

FYI

oes this scene sound familiar?

For more information about the Corvallis Environmental Center and the Starker Arts Garden for Education, go to http://www.corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org, call 541-753-9211 or email info@corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org.

You're sitting down to dinner with the family for a delicious meal when your youngest child declares, “I don't like spinach!”

If this is a dinner table routine, you might find it easier to give your child chicken nuggets instead of that spinach.

But to encourage your picky eater to acquire a taste for vegetables, try making the experience fun and positive, advised Sara McCune, farm to school manager for the Corvallis Environmental Center.

“It's easy to get bored and stuck in a rut, but food is awesome and has so much variety,” McCune said. “It's huge for parents to keep an open mind and to bring excitement to the dinner table.”

As farm to school manager, McCune's job is just that - to bring excitement to school cafeterias. She is working with farms and the Corvallis School District to increase the amount of locally grown food in school meals. She also teaches cooking classes for children at the center's Starker Arts Garden for Education.

PROVIDED

When new foods in those classes intimidate some children, McCune has a few tricks up her sleeve to fire those kids up for fennel and kale.

Her suggestions below will help the picky eaters in your family learn to love vegetables.

• Garden with your children. “Even the pickiest of eaters get excited to try things that they have grown,” McCune said. “They like picking it and tasting it fresh from the plant.”

That's why the center holds cooking classes outdoors at the SAGE Garden. If you don't have much space, grow toma-

toes in containers or take your kids to a U-pick farm, she suggested.

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• Treat new foods as an adventure. Make it a family adventure to try

new foods every week.

“Kids need to be exposed to foods a lot of times before they really start accepting them,” McCune said.

• Encourage playing with food. Put an assortment of vegetables on a plate with some yogurt dip. Ask your kids to make a picture with those foods on a place-

mat. For example, they could make a face with beans for a smile and cucumber slices for eyes.

Such activities make the experience fun.

• Don't feel ashamed to disguise foods.

Make tomato sauce and puree diced carrots and zucchini into the sauce.

“Kids have no idea there are vegetables in the tomato sauce,” McCune said. “Don't feel as if you're doing something wrong by hiding vegetables.” It helps kids adjust their taste buds, she said.

“The biggest takeaway is not to be afraid to try new things and recognize that modeling is huge,” McCune said. “It's important to have an adventuresome spirit.”

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014, ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES

Just what is an early learning hub?

BY MIKE MCINALLY EARLY YEARS

If you have young children in the preschool years, you might have heard the recent buzz around the phrase “early learning hub.“ But you’re not alone if you’re not clear what it means — or what it might mean for your child, or for you.

For a primer on the early learning hub now being assembled for Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties, we went to the woman who has been doing much of the assembly: Jerri Wolfe, the chair of the Parenting Education department at Linn-Benton Community College.

(LBCC, with its footprint across the mid-valley, was a logical choice to be the hub’s lead agency. Eventually, the plan is to have 16 separate hubs throughout Oregon.)

The idea behind the early learning hubs harkens back to Gov. John Kitzhaber’s push for a coordinated educational system that begins at the cradle and stretches into postsecondary education and beyond.

More specifically, the early learning hubs (which have replaced the commissions for families and children that used to be in each Oregon county) are charged with trying to ensure that students are ready for kindergarten, which, in turn, should allow them to be reading at grade level by the time they’re in the third grade — two critical goals.

ONLINE Parents who are looking for a free online resource to check on the development of their children up to age 5 can go to asqoregon.com.

On the site, parents are asked to fill out a questionnaire. Results can be emailed back to the parents.

The overall philosophy behind the early learning hub, as Wolfe explains it, is to bring as many of the parties responsible for early childhood education as possible to the same table to talk about what works, to share best practices and to test some new approaches.

“The difference here is that this is going to more coordinated and more thoughtful” about the best ways to ensure that children walk into their kindergarten room on their first day of school ready to learn.

That means, as Wolfe explained it, making room at the table for additional players. For example, entities involved in an early learning hub could include

DAVID PATTON/EARLY YEARS

Jerri Wolfe, chair of the Parenting Education department at Linn-Benton Community College, has been working to assemble an early learning hub for Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties. public schools, early learning providers, health care providers, social service agencies and the private sector.

Already, she said, she’s seen early signs of collaboration: For example, she said, “school districts are looking more broadly at how do we build relationships with families before they enter (the school) system,” she said. The learning hubs could assist

with that, she said.

The Benton-Linn-Lincoln hub will have some money from the state each year to hire staffers and to help fund trial projects. Its initial budget, Wolfe said, is a little more than $300,000.

But to some extent, future budgets will hinge on the hub’s ability to help

drive progress toward the overall goals.

The Benton-Linn-Lincoln hub only recently won approval from the state to move ahead, and plenty of work remains, Wolfe said.

But over the long run — and maybe even over the short term — she said parents will begin to notice

considerably more coordination between all the parties that play a role in early child education, from hospitals to health departments to day care centers to Head Start programs and all the other stops in between.

“It will be coordinated,” Wolfe said. “And it will look like that to parents.”

ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014

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Passing along a parent’s legacy of happiness

BY HEIDI STEVENS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

I

was sharing lunch with a friend recently when the conversation turned to happiness, specifically our parents’.

She recalled the first time she saw her dad truly happy — well into her adulthood, after he’d moved a continent away and built a boat for himself. It was lovely, she recalled.

Parents are the first people we’re crazy about.

We grow up witnessing and measuring every one of their emotions. Joy is the one we like best — the one we try hardest to inspire, from the moment we realize other people’s emotions are something we get a say in.

Which brings me to my mom, who I am, to this day, crazy about. Most everyone who knows her is. She turned 70 recently, and I called a dozen of her friends ahead of time to invite them to brunch.

“I would do anything for your mom,” one friend replied.

I could have called 60 more people and gotten the same response.

I’ve watched my mom, in my lifetime, create a legacy. I’ve watched her gather a few girlfriends and start a conservation revolution in my hometown of West Dundee, Ill.. I’ve watched her restore habitats and save wildflower species and protect wetlands from being drained and paved over and turned into who knows what. A tanning salon, maybe. Another Chili’s.

I joke that I’m the only one of my friends lucky enough to have a vegan,

PROVIDED

Prius-driving environmentalist mom who joins protest rallies against the Keystone oil pipeline.

I’m not joking about the lucky part. Lucky that I have a mom who’s kind and funny and energetic and impassioned, yes. Even luckier that she’s healthy, of course.

Most of all, though, I’m lucky I get to see her happy.

My whole life I’ve watched her find joy — through travel and books and bird-watching. With my dad. With her friends.

On walks and at work.

She took joy in us, too, my older brother and me, when we weren’t fighting

over who started it and who should shut up and who looked out whose car window.

She took joy in us separately, mostly. We weren’t that enjoyable as a set.

Anyway, a joyful parent is a gift like no other.

When parents carve space in their lives for happiness, it gives their kids permission to do the same. Happiness looks like a skill and a priority, like exercise or friendship. Something you have permission to do — should, in fact, find time to do.

I went through a phase, during and shortly after my divorce, when I would

PHOTO

ask my friends, “Was your mom happy when you were growing up?” I

was lurching toward my own happiness again and I hoped (believed?) my kids, 2 and 6 at the time, would be better for it. My friends and I would talk about how different our childhoods would have been if the answer was yes instead of no; no instead of yes.

I think often about those conversations as I raise my own kids, wondering, always, how to strike the right balance between selflessness and self-preservation; between time for them and time for me; between their friends and my friends, their pursuits and my pursuits.

I never find the right balance because I think it’s ever-shifting. But I keep trying, and that’s in

large part because I watched my mom try, and often succeed.

So here she is at 70, preparing to embark on a camping trip to Vermont with my dad in a few weeks, followed by a birding trip to Brazil with her San Diego pal a few weeks later.

In so many ways, we’re nothing alike. I am at home in a sea of humanity, surrounded by noise and buildings and traffic and strangers; she’s at home in the woods. I kill everything I plant; she grows prairies.

But on the happiness front, I want to be just like her when I grow up.

And I hope my kids say the same about me someday.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014, ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES

Vaccines lay a healthy foundation for kids

BY MIKE MCINALLY EARLY YEARS

C

arrie Colmenares, a doctor with Samaritan Internal Medicine & Pediatrics clinic in North Albany, brings to her job a passion for primary care and preventive care.

Which is why she’s passionate about vaccinations for children.

After all, the idea of preventive care is to keep people out of hospitals, out of emergency rooms — to prevent the kinds of diseases that can sicken people for life, or worse.

And, Colmenares said in a recent interview, proper vaccinations mark the start of that kind of preventive care. In a real sense, she said, they help build the foundations for healthy lives.

Nevertheless, it’s not at all unusual for Colmenares to find new parents questioning her — sometimes aggressively — about the vaccination schedule she and her colleagues recommend.

The No. 1 culprit, she said: The media.

“People come in now and question my judgments based on what they’ve seen on the Internet and TV,” she said.

Colmenares doesn’t mind the questions. But she urges parents and others to consider the sources of the information they’re bringing to the doctor.

In particular, many current worries about vaccines date back to a 1998 study that linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. Even though the study has since been discredited, it continues to bounce around the Internet’s echo chambers — and is a frequent discussion topic in the examina-

MARK YLEN/EARLY YEARS

Samaritan Health Services Dr. Carrie Colmenares says vaccines are essential for giving a child a healthy start to life.

On the web For more information about recommended regimens for vaccinating children, check out this website from the federal Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ For an easy-to-read guide to vaccinations for children up to 6 years of age, check out this site: http://www.cdc.gov /vaccines/parents/downloads/parent-ver-sch-0-6yrs.pdf. tion rooms where pediatricians and parents gather with newborns.

Colmenares understands the concerns.

“I understand, from a patient’s perspective, how difficult it can be to have a child with any kind of devastating cognitive disease and wanting to find a cure. But there have been many studies done which show no correlation or causative link between vaccines and autism.”

So she urges the parents

she works with to cast a discriminating eye on studies they may encounter as they do their research. Look for studies that include large populations, she said — those will tend to be more accurate than studies with smaller populations. Look at the sources of the studies: Are they nationally or internationally recognized?

It can be tough going at times, but looking at studies with a dose of skepticism can help separate fact

from speculation.

Colmenares said the stakes are high — not just for individual children, but from a larger perspective as well.

If vaccination rates decline, she said, it takes a toll on what doctors call “herd immunity” — the idea that diseases such as polio can’t get much of a foothold because such a large percentage of people are immunized against it.

In the long run, Colmenares isn’t asking anything of her patients that she hasn’t asked of herself.

“I’m vaccinating my own child completely,” she said, “and I would never do that if I didn’t think they were completely safe.”

Recommended vaccinations Here, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, are the recommended vaccines for children up to 6 years of age.

Check with your pediatrician for more details: • The HepB vaccine prevents against hepatitis B, which can cause fever, headache, weakness, vomiting, jaundice and dark urine.

• The RV vaccine protects against rotavirus, which can cause diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

• The DTaP vaccine protects against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus.

• The Hib vaccine protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b.

• The PCV vaccine protects against pneumococcus, which can cause pneumonia.

• The IPV vaccine protects against polio.

• The influenza vaccine protects against influenza.

• MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

• The varicella vaccine protects against chickenpox.

• The HepA vaccine protects against hepatitis A, which can cause fever, stomach pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, jaundice and dark urine.

ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014

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Parents, preschoolers learn together at LBCC

BY DENISE RUTTAN

Learn more

FOR EARLY YEARS

P

reschool-aged children and their parents gather around a giant, brightly colored parachute. Small fingers grab its edges. The children walk around one direction and then switch to the other direction. They lift the parachute up and down, staring in wonder as it billows in the breeze.

Laughing, children bounce a red ball and a blue rubber ball into the center of the parachute.

The activity helps children “learn about space, spatial relationships, colors and words through touch and feel,” said Jerri Wolfe, parenting education department chairwoman for Linn-Benton Community College.

This scene is part of LBCC’s “Live and Learn with Your Preschooler” programs. The idea is to pair parents and their 3-5year-old children in cooperative preschool programs. Parents support each other in this unique

For a schedule of upcoming classes and more information, go online to LBCC’s website at https://www.linnbenton.edu/parenting-education. You can also contact Jerri Wolfe at jerri.wolfe@linnbenton.edu or 541-917-4891. Many of the classes are free. Some have a fee that varies by class, but scholarships are available.

You can also get more information at the Parenting Success Network website at http://www.parentingsuccessnetwork.org/parenting-programs/preschool. The Parenting Success Network, a partner with LBCC, is a coalition of organizations in Linn and Benton counties that provide programs and support services for families.

DAVID PATTON/EARLY YEARS

Cosette Duckett, 4, left, and Jeanene Griffiths, 4, fill a basket with toys during free play time at the Linn-Benton Community College parent co-op preschool in Lebanon. learning environment.

Children attend two-anda-half-hour sessions, two to three days per week.

Parents take turns helping the teacher and often interact alongside their child in hands-on activities such as the parachute exercise.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to meet other parents who are at the same

place in life,” Wolfe said.

“Particularly when it’s your first baby, it can be difficult to meet couples that have children the same age as yours. In the group you can meet couples who are going through what you’re going through and find out about resources in the community.

It’s an opportunity to have

a conversation about parenting and children and to get support and resources about your child’s growth and development.”

The classes last for 10 weeks and take place the fall and spring every year. Parents can select from sessions including “Live and Learn With Your Baby,” “Parents and Toddlers Together,”

When to toilet train? Watch for these clues

BY MIKE MCINALLY EARLY YEARS

L

ooking for clues on when your toddler is ready to be toilettrained? Dr. Carrie Colmenares, from Samaritan Health’s Internal Medicine and Pediatrics clinic in North Albany, said watchful parents can pick up on some fairly common cues from their children.

But remember this overall message, Colmenares said: “In general, they’re going to do it when it’s own time” — and parents should never punish children for having toilettraining accidents.

With that said, Col-

menares said parents can be watching out for these cues that might suggest a child is ready for toilet training — and these signs often start to emerge at about 2 years of age, but not always: • Diapers are staying dry for longer and longer periods of time.

• In some cases, diapers stay dry throughout the night.

• Your child is telling you when she’s gone in her diaper.

Those signs suggest that a child has gained the necessary muscle control necessary to start using the toilet.

But that’s not an exact science, Colmenares said: Even after they start using the toilet, accidents aren’t unusual. And some children will wet their beds up to ages 6 or 7, she said.

Parents love to swap stories of what worked — or what didn’t work — during the toilet-training years. Experts don’t advise bribery as a technique for toilet training — using small gifts, or candy treats, to reward progress — but it’s not all unusual to find parents offering a tale of how they tried various enticements to persuade their offspring.

“What I have learned is that bribes are not good to do,” Colmenares said — but she admitted to trying a technique with one of her own children involving a box of toys purchased for cheap from a dollar store.

The important thing is that while a reward or bribe may be tempting for a child, it doesn’t mean that a child has developed the muscle control required. So it’s best to wait and watch for the telltale signs that your child is ready for toilet training.

“For each kid,” Colmenares said, “it’s going to be on their own time.”

“Creative Development” and several other topics. They’re offered in Corvallis, Albany, Halsey, Philomath and Scio.

Classes feature creative activities such as storytelling, sing-alongs and playing with Play-Doh. Children learn language and math concepts and how to express emotions appropriately. Class typically breaks for a snack. After snack time, parents sit around a circle of chairs around a table and talk about a different topic every session, such as their parenting challenges. While the parents converse, chil-

dren play with balls and tricycles, and run and jump outside or in the gym.

These programs, active since the 1970s, have grown into tight-knit communities, all inspired by that cooperative concept, Wolfe said. Over the years, Wolfe has watched parents become lifelong friends after taking the classes.

“These classes have been in the community for a really long time,” Wolfe said.

“They’re a really positive place for a parent to meet other parents and have fun together with their children.”

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014, ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES

SAMARITAN CLASSES tions, breathing and relaxation.

Offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W. Albany.

Cost: $70. Call 541-8124301.

Also offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis. Cost: $75.

Call 541-768-4752.

Here is a partial list of childbirth and new parents classes offered by Samaritan Health Services. Call the phone number listed with each class for dates, times and other information. The Corvallis Clinic also offers classes; for a partial listing of the clinic’s classes, see the listing on page 10. Call the phone number listed with each class for dates, times and other information.

ALL ABOUT BREASTFEEDING Learn how to optimize successful breast-feeding.

Husbands and partners welcome. Free.

Offered at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, 525 N. Santiam Highway in Lebanon. Call 541-451-7872 for details.

Offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive. Call 541-768-5244.

Also offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany; Call for information: 541812-4301 ANESTHESIA AND PAIN RELIEF OPTIONS An anesthesiologist will explain pain control options during labor and delivery, and discuss the benefits and risks of each.

Offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis. Free. Call 541-768-4752.

BABYSITTING TRAINING Learn how to supervise children, handle emergencies, prevent accidents, how to diaper, dress and feed babies and children. An American Red Cross certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the course. Participants must be at least 11 years old.

Prerequisites: advance registration and payment.

Call for information: 541926-1543.

PROVIDED

BECOMING A NEW SISTER OR BROTHER Children will learn about baby care and see a film on pregnancy, delivery and adjusting to the new baby.

Recommended for children 30 months or older, this class helps begin the process of sibling preparation and familiarizes children with the hospital.

Offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany; call 541-812-4301.

Also offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis; call 541-7684752.

Also offered at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, 525 N. Santiam Highway, Lebanon; call 541451-7872.

BREAST PUMP RENTAL Breast pump rental and other breastfeeding supplies are available from Samaritan Medical Equipment.

Albany, 541-812-5460.

Corvallis, 541-768-7500.

Lebanon, 541-451-6364.

Newport, 541-574-4797.

BREASTFEEDING LIFESTYLE Learn how to provide opti-

mum nutrition for your baby, even after returning to work.

Offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany.

Call 541-812-4301.

Also offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis. Call 541768-4752.

CARING FOR YOUR NEW BABY Learn about newborn care, including how to hold, burp and diaper your baby.

Free.

Offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany.

Call 541-812-4301.

CHILDBIRTH PREPARATION This series of sessions prepares the expectant mother and her support person for labor and delivery.

Offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany.

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Cost: $60. Call 541-8124301.

Offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis. Cost: $65 a couple. Call 541-768-4752.

Also offered at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, 525 N. Santiam Highway, Lebanon. Cost: $50, scholarships available.

Call 541-451-7872.

Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, 3043 NE 28th St.; Lincoln City. Cost: $50, free to those delivering at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. Call 541-996-7179.

Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, 930 SW Abbey St., Newport.

Cost: $50, free to those delivering at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital. Call 541-574-4936.

CHILDBIRTH PREPARATION IN A WEEKEND Learn about labor and birth, possible complica-

CHILDBIRTH PREPARATION REFRESHER This class is open to couples who have attended childbirth preparation class within the last four years.

Offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany.

Cost: $30. Call 541-8124301.

CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTION Make sure that your baby’s first ride home is a safe one. Learn about the proper use and installation of child/infant safety seats.

Safety recall information will also be available. Available in Corvallis. Call for information: 541-766-6961.

CPR FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS: INFANT ONLY Covers infant CPR and choking. Cost: $10, Advance registration required. Call: 541-768-6629.

Offered at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W. Albany.

Offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis.

Offered at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, 525 N. Santiam Highway, Lebanon.

EXPECTANT PARENT CLASS Learn about newborn care and talk with a pediatrician.

Offered at Samaritan Pediatrics, 3517 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis.

Free. Call 541-768-4900.

“HEY! LOOK US OVER” MATERNITY PROGRAM Expectant parents will tour the birthing wing and meet the delivery staff.

Offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 N.W. Samaritan See SAMARITAN CLASSES on page 9

ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014

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RESOURCE GUIDE Hospitals If your baby is born at the hospital, begin there. Check into the many support services and continuing education classes offered by Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Samaritan Albany General Hospital and Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. All pro-

vide early pregnancy and childbirth preparation classes for parents-to-be and parental classes for after baby's arrival. (A partial list of classes begins on page 8.)

• Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 541-768-4752.

• Samaritan Albany General Hospital, 541-812-

4301.

• Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, 541451-7872.

The hospitals also offer a wide range of support groups, covering topics such as childbearing loss, grief and sudden infant death syndrome. For a brochure or more information, call one of the numbers

listed above or visit www.samhealth.org.

Make your Maternity Connection You just found out you are pregnant. Congratulations! It is very exciting, but what do you do now?

Samaritan Health Services developed Maternity

Connections to help you organize these decisions, prepare early for your pregnancy, and help to create a pleasant and satisfying hospital stay.

Your maternity care coordinator will help you design a plan for the best care possible before, during and after the birthing experience. All services are free. For more informa-

tion, call the maternity care coordinator in your area: • Albany: 541-812-4301.

• Corvallis: 541-768-6908.

• Lebanon: 541-451-7872.

Información en español: • Albany: 541-812-4303.

• Corvallis: 541-768-5772.

• Lebanon: 541-451-7872.

See RESOURCE GUIDE on page 10

SAMARITAN CLASSES activity and exercise, emotional changes, sexuality, sleeping issues, returning to work, feeding issues, adjusting to life as a mother, baby blues and postpartum depression.

Available in Albany. Call for information and to register: 541-812-4301.

Drive, Corvallis. Call for information: 541-768-4752.

Offered at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, 525 N. Santiam Highway, Lebanon. Call for appointment: 541- 2582101, ask for the Girod Birth Center.

Offered at Samarian North Lincoln Hospital, 3043 NE 28th St., Lincoln City. Call for an appointment: 541-996-7179.

HOPE FOR MOTHERS POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP One out of eight moms experiences postpartum depression. If you are having feelings of sadness or anxiety that last more than a few weeks, support is available. Hope for Mothers provides a healthy and safe environment in which both mother and baby can thrive together. Through our peer support groups, women will feel heard, supported and encouraged.

Second and fourth Thursdays, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Location: Fourth floor, Samaritan Albany General Hospital Conference Room.

To contact Hope for Mothers, call 541-812-4475.

Program also available in Spanish; call 541-812-4301.

Second and fourth Thursdays, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Location: Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital.

Cost: Free.

PREPARING FOR TWINS

PROVIDED

Instructor: Laurie Ann Barajas, MAHS, MCC. For more information call 541-451-7872.

BY

MILAN JUREK

Lebanon, 541-451-7177.

LACTATION LINE

Call for breastfeeding support over the phone.

Albany, 541-812-5116.

INFANT MASSAGE Corvallis, 541-768-5244.

Learn how you can use touch to help your baby Lebanon, 541-451-7588. release accumulated tension Lincoln City, 541-996-7179. and relax her or his body.

MOMMY CONNECTIONS Offered at Good Explore the unique chalSamaritan Regional Medical lenges women face during the Center, 3600 N.W. days, weeks and months after Samaritan Drive, Corvallis. delivery of a new baby. Topics Cost: $20. Call 541-768include healing after birth, 4752.

LACTATION CLINIC Nursing moms have the opportunity to consult with a lactation nurse during a breastfeeding clinic. You’ll get answers to breastfeeding questions, discuss different techniques and positioning, and help with problem solving. Call for an appointment.

Albany, 541-812-5116.

Corvallis, 541-768-4900.

This session will educate and prepare parents expecting a multiple delivery. A nurse will answer questions and discuss delivering twins or triplets.

Available in Corvallis.

Prerequisite: attend when you are between 20 and 26 weeks along. Call to register: 541-768-6908.

SAFE SITTER Learn all you need to know to babysit in this one-day course. Each participant who completes the course will receive a “Safe Sitter” completion card. Cost: $45 Participants must be at least 11 to 13 years old and registration is required.

Offered at Samaritan

Lebanon Community Hospital, your baby´s characteristics and behaviors. Free.

525 N. Santiam Highway, Lebanon. Call 541-451-7047.

Offered at Samaritan YOUR INCREDIBLE NEWBORN Albany General Hospital, Join a pediatrician or nurse 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany. practitioner to learn about Call 541-812-4301.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014, ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES

RESOURCE GUIDE Benton County Health Services LOCATIONS: • Benton Health Center, 530 N.W. 27th St., Corvallis, 97330.

Phone: 541-766-6835. Hours: Monday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m,Tuesday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Lincoln Health Center, 121 S.E. Viewmont Ave., Corvallis, 97333. Phone: 541766-3546. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday, noon-7 p.m.

• East Linn Health Center, 100 Mullins Drive, Suite A-1, Lebanon, 97355.

Phone: 541-451-6920. Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(Closed from noon to 1 p.m.); Wednesday, 1-5 p.m.

• Monroe Health Center, 610 Dragon Drive, Monroe, 97456. Phone: 541-847-5143.

Hours: Monday 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

SERVICES INCLUDE: • Medical care: The health centers provide affordable medical care for people of all ages. Staff includes family practitioners and pediatricians.

Mental health and addiction services plus pharmacy services are available. Services are culturally and linguistically appropriate. While services are not free, they are offered on a sliding fee scale. Private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and self-pay are accepted. For appointments or information, call 541-766-6835.

• Immunizations: All infant and childhood vaccines. Adult vaccines such as tetanus-diphtheria, influenza, and pneumococcal pneumonia. All immunization services are by appointment. Call 541766-6835.

• WIC: Women, Infants and Children’s Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) is a health and nutrition program for pregnant women, women up to six months after deliv-

ery, nursing mothers up to 12 months after delivery, and children from birth to age 5.

WIC also provides checks for fresh fruits and vegetables at summer farmers markets and farm stands, breast-feeding education and consultations and has some breast pumps for those who qualify. For WIC appointments or information, call 541-766-6835.

• Maternal and child health: Maternal Child Health Program provides services to pregnant women, young children and their families through three home visit programs: Maternity Case Management, Babies First!, and CaCoon. All families enrolled in home-visit programs receive home visits from a public health nurse, culturally sensitive care and help in accessing other community resources. For more information about maternal and child health programs, call 541-766-6835.

The Corvallis Clinic The Corvallis Clinic’s 105 clinical professionals offer many resources for new parents and their children in the areas of newborn care, child development, lactation, vaccines, child behavior, sleep

issues, allergies, psychiatry and psychology, and women’s health and pregnancy. To learn more, call The Clinic’s Find-aPhysician specialist at 541-7573757 or connect to the clinic’s website at https://www.corvallisclinic.com/services_specialties/find-a-physician-request.

Special services offered by The Corvallis Clinic: •Sleep Medicine: Sleep apnea can cause long-term health issues in children. To help treat this condition, the Sleep Medicine Department employs a team of physicians specializing in pulmonology, neurology, and family medicine, along with nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Call 541-754-1268 for more information.

• Allergies: Seasonal allergies can bring problems beyond itchy eyes and runny noses to children, such as impaired memory and concentration, fatigue, and behavioral issues. Contact the Allergy and Immunology Department in Corvallis at 541-754-1260 or in Albany at 541-967-8221 for more information.

• Vaccinations: An important step in ensuring the health of any child is to make sure they receive immuniza-

tions at the correct time.

Contact the Pediatrics Department at 541-754-1278.

• CareNow Convenience Clinic: Routine vaccinations and physical exams for children 2 years and older.

Sports physicals and onsite pregnancy testing. Make online appointments at www.carenoworegon.com/.

Classes offered by The Corvallis Clinic for expecting parents: • “Baby Bundle” prenatal talk: Obstetricians present a 90-minute talk covering the most important topics for moms and dads-to-be. Learn about the signs of labor, birthing options, techniques for coping with pain, when to call your doctor, partner help during labor, and choosing your baby’s doctor. Call 541-7382075 or go to www.corvallis clinic.com/classes for details.

• “Healthy Baby” prenatal talk: Learn the essentials of caring for your new baby. The talk covers topics such as your baby’s first hour, APGAR scores, jaundice, development, circumcision, blood tests and normal newborn appearance.

Call 541-738-2075 or go to corvallisclinic.com/classes for details.

LBCC Live and Learn Parenting Classes Parenting is a learned skill for everyone. Linn-Benton Community College’s Parenting Education Program offers programs to fit every family at every stage.

For the classes at LBCC, “parent” means anyone who fills the role of parent in a child’s life. Classes are available throughout the year in many locations in Linn and Benton counties. Trained parenting educators teach all programs. Many classes are free; some have a fee and most have scholarships available.

Class offerings change each quarter and are posted a few months in advance at www.linnbenton.edu/parenting-education and www.parentingsuccessnetwork.org.

Information also is available by calling Family Connections at 541-917-4899.

Here’s a guide to some of LBCC’s class offerings:

LIVE AND LEARN PROGRAMS Enjoy new songs, games and activities with your child.

Meet other parents and chil-

dren in your community and learn how to support your child’s amazing development.

In Live and Learn classes parents and their young children (birth-5) learn and grow together. Classes include “Live and Learn with your Baby,” “Live and Learn with your Toddler,” “Live and Learn with your Two-Year-Old” and “Creative Development.”

PARENT COOPERATIVE PRESCHOOLS In a co-op preschool, parents join the teacher in providing a positive learning environment for children 3-5.

Children attend preschool for 2½ hours a session, three days a week. Parents take turns assisting the teacher in the classroom. At parent meetings, class activities are planned and parenting topics are discussed. Offered in Albany, Corvallis, Halsey, Philomath and Scio.

THE INCREDIBLE YEARS Build a more cooperative relationship with your child and learn how to make clear family rules. Prevent behavior probSee RESOURCE GUIDE on page 11

ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014

11

RESOURCE GUIDE lems and help your child get along with friends and do better in school. For parents of children ages 2 through 10. Offered as 10 sessions over 10 weeks.

MAKE PARENTING A PLEASURE Identify your strengths as a parent, take better care of yourself and discover new ways to make parenting easier.

Develop a better understanding of your child’s development and ways to make discipline fit your child’s age. For parents of children ages 2 through 8. Offered as 10 sessions over 10 weeks. Available in Spanish as: Haga de la Paternidad un Placer.

NURTURING PARENTING Build skills to nurture your child better through empathy and positive communication.

Know why your child behaves the way she does and explore what discipline works best at different ages, including alternatives to spanking. Ten sessions can be delivered as a series or as individual workshops.

NURTURING SKILLS FOR FAMILIES The class starts with a survey to assess your parenting beliefs and strengths. The instructor chooses lessons to fit the group’s needs. Topics include developing expectations based on your child’s age, building empathy and positive communication, understanding discipline, rewards and punishments, alternatives to spanking, deciding when parents should be in charge and when to support your child’s growing independence, and more. Classes are usually 10 sessions.

Available in Spanish as El Programa de Crianza con Cariño para Padres y Sus Niños.

LIVING WITH YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLER What makes middle schoolers tick? Learn how you can help your child develop responsibility, stay engaged in school and weather the social

SERVICES INCLUDE:

PROVIDED

turmoil of these years. For parents of children ages 11 through 15. Usually offered as six sessions over six weeks.

READY TOGETHER: SCHOOL SUCCESS Prepare your 2-6 year old to succeed in school. Build their academic and social skills.

Learn to help your child build reading readiness and stick to a task even when frustrated.

Coach your child to get along with others by sharing, waiting and taking turns. Offered as 6 sessions over 6 weeks.

A number of parenting programs are available by request. These programs include: • Make Parenting a Pleasure with Your Special Needs Child • Parenting Your Autism Spectrum Disorder Child • Talking to Your Kids About Sexuality • Strengthening Families — for parents and youth ages 10 — 14 • Stepparenting • Talking to Your Teen FAMILY CONNECTIONS Another source of information for new parents is the Family Connections program at Linn-Benton Community College. By calling 541-9174899 or 1-800-845-1363, you can access information about

child care, parent education, a parent advice line and children’s activities. Or send an email to connect@linnbenton. edu or check out the website www.linnbenton.edu/family resources/familyconnections.

Linn County Department of Health Services Services for children 0-18 years of age

OFFICE SITES: • Albany: 2730 Pacific Blvd.

S.E., Albany, 97321. Phone: 541967-3888 or 1-800-304-7468.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed from noon to 1 p.m.

• Lebanon: 1600 S. Main,

BY

ANISSA THOMPSON

Lebanon, 97355. Phone: 541451-5932 or 1-888-451-2631.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed from noon to 1 p.m.

• Sweet Home: 799 Long St., Sweet Home. 97386.

Phone: 541-367-3888 or 1800-920-7571. Hours typically are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but call for times and days. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.

• Immunizations: Immunizations are available for children 0-18 years. Payment is based on a sliding scale from $10.75 to $21.50 per shot. (Call for specific amounts.) Various grants are occasionally available to provide free immunizations at special clinics or under special qualifying conditions.

Shots are given at office sites listed above.

• WIC: Nutrition program for low-income pregnant and breastfeeding or postpartum women, infants, and children to age 5. Supplemental food vouchers plus nutrition information and education, diet screening, and monitoring of child growth and development plus referrals to health care and social services provided. Offered at the office sites listed above.

MATERNAL-CHILD HEALTH PROGRAMS INCLUDE: • Babies First Program: Public health nurses provide home visits to Linn County parents with infants and young children up to 5 years of age who are at risk for health and developmental delays. The nurse pro-

vides specialized developmental screens, case management, and referral to local community and regional services. Health information is provided on the child’s development, feeding and child safety. Babies First serves all of Linn County. Call 541-967-3888, Ext. 2173.

• CaCoon Care Coordination Program: Public health nurses provide home visits to Linn County parents with infants and children birth to 21 years with special health care needs. The goal of this program is to work with the parent to provide care coordination for their children with special health care needs.

Case management and advocacy are provided as well as referrals to early intervention and other needed special health care services. CaCoon serves all of Linn County. Call 541-967-3888, Ext. 2173.

OTHER SERVICES INCLUDE: • Vital statistics: Birth certificates for 0-6 months of age.

• Reproductive health services: Family planning, birth control, low or no-cost vasectomy program.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014, ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD, CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES