NYC Children's Cabinet Hosts Baby Shower for Spanish-Speaking New Yorkers

June 25, 2016

NEW YORK—The NYC Children’s Cabinet Baby Showers series culminated in a special event for Spanish-speakers at El Museo del Barrio today. Led by Deputy Mayor Richard Buery, Chair of the NYC Children’s Cabinet, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio and NYC Children’s Cabinet Executive Director Benita Miller, the baby showers were held across the five boroughs for expectant and new parents and caregivers.

Hundreds of families who attended the baby shower connected with City and community support programs, such as registering for a library card, IDNYC or child care services, and learned about the Safe Sleep for Babies program and maternal and child health resources in local communities.

“I know how much a father’s love affects a child’s self-esteem, independence, emotional responsiveness, and more,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Richard Buery, Chair of the NYC Children's Cabinet. “It is in our city’s best interest to help our mothers and fathers find the tools and resources they need to be the best parents they can be. We're on a mission to make New York City the best big city in America to raise children, and it begins with parents and caregivers.”

“So much of our health happens outside of hospitals and doctor’s offices – and with these Baby Showers, we are bringing some of the best resources in our City to one coordinated location,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio. “We are fortunate to have a Mayor and an administration that is committed to building health equity through partnerships across agencies, organizations and communities so that we can leverage our tremendous assets to build health where we and our children live, learn, work and play.”  

In 2016, more than 100,000 babies will be born across NYC. The showers are part of the Cabinet’s “Talk to Your Baby” campaign, which promotes language acquisition, parent-child attachment and healthy brain development by encouraging parents to talk, read and sing to their babies from birth. Developed with support from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the campaign’s partners include Scholastic, Inc., The Clinton Foundation and Sesame Street.

NYC Children's Cabinet Executive Director Benita Miller said, “The City of New York offers a wonderful array of resources and services for families, but too many are unaware. With our Baby Showers series, we brought valuable information directly to communities. Today, Latino New Yorkers were at the heart of our celebration so that they are better prepared to raise and nurture our newest New Yorkers.”

“We owe it to the next generation to make sure they have access to the full breadth of opportunities available to residents of our dynamic city,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl. “Whether that’s health services, early education, or the arts, our communities are made stronger when we work together to provide the youngest New Yorkers with every resource they need to grow and thrive.”

The NYC Children's Cabinet is a multiagency initiative created by Mayor Bill de Blasio to bolster communication and coordination among City agencies and provide a space to identify and analyze inpidual and common areas of work that impact child safety and wellbeing. The Cabinet is chaired by Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Richard Buery and is composed of commissioners and directors from 24 City agencies and Mayoral offices.