Agency Details:

Las Companeras: Mothers Mentoring Mothers

The Mission of Las Compañeras: Mothers Mentoring Mothers is to provide a community support system for mothers and their newborn babies. The Las Compañeras program will provide a mentor partner for expectant mothers beginning in their last trimester up through the baby’s first year. The program will provide practical information on: Infant Care-Mother & Child well-being-Positive Parenting Skills-Handling Stress-Information about Community Services.

Description:
Las Compañeras: Mothers Mentoring Mothers is an educational mentoring program designed for parents and their newborns through the First Step Center Women’s Health and Pediatric Clinic. Las Compañeras trains and utilizes mentors to educate and provide community resources to young mothers in the community in order to promote happy and healthy mothers, fathers and children and assist in the prevention of child abuse.
The mission of Las Compañeras is to encourage a healthy, safe environment for newborns, thereby reducing any occurrences of child abuse and neglect. Las Compañeras is dedicated to improving the parenting skills of new mothers and creating and enhancing programs to end the cycle of child abuse within our community

Volunteer mentors are extensively trained for this program and provide one-on-one contact with the new parents. Beginning with an initial personal introduction prior to the baby’s arrival, the mentor will visit, call, and remind the mother of prenatal checkups. During the first year of the baby’s life the mentor will continue building the mentor-mother relationship. Mentors encourage positive infant growth and development; help recognize infant milestones and care giving responses for each stage, read infant cues, understand the needs of infants and advocates preventative healthcare. The mentor serves as a resource person for the new parents and helps connect them with any service they may need. Las Compañeras compliments the First Step Center health care providers and health educators by promoting health seeking behaviors. Mentors encourage and teach new parents the importance of proper immunization and child nutrition. Mentors are also trained to recognize the signs of prenatal and postnatal depression and provide emotional support to the new mother.

Las Compañeras reaches at-risk families early, provides information and education to support the transition to parenthood, provides outlets for families incurring stress in their daily lives, supports outreach and support services, educates the community about child abuse and domestic violence, and teaches children and adults conflict resolution, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.

Contact person: Teddey Provencio, Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (575) 556-8230

Languages Spoken: English

Address:

390 Calle De Alegra Las Cruces , NM 88005 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified

Directions:

Travel west on Idaho Avenue crossing El Paseo Road. Continue west on Idaho past Las Cruces High School and the Masonics Lodge. Turn left on Calle de Ninos. Continue to the stop sign where you turn left onto Calle de. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: South Main, , 20 minute walk minute walk

Last updated on June 24, 2009