The Welcome Baby Baskets are filled with essential items a new mother would need to care for her baby.

The Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC) Program's Cradle Club service provides new moms with the supplies they need at a crucial time. In return, expectant families become more aware of the pre- and post-natal education and build parenting skills with our Program Partners in the selected communities.

The Indian Health Services in both the Whiteriver and Cibecue communities on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, which is part of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, are Program Partners.

They implement the service that offers pre- and post-natal support in the area, as well as parenting education for mothers and expectant mothers. The service has three components: Welcome Baby Baskets, Good Start Baskets, and Extra Mommy Incentives.

  The Welcome Baby Baskets are filled with essential items a new mother would need to care for her baby. The baskets should be offered to all mothers in the community after the birth of her child.

 The Good Start Baskets offer essential items for the older baby and are provided to all mothers after they bring their baby in for his or her first set of immunizations.

 There are also extra “mommy” incentives that moms can earn by attending at least six classes and/or appointments pre- and post-natally.

The Good Start Baskets offer essential items for the older baby.

Cibecue is located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. The community is about an hour from the largest communities and tribal headquarters (Whiteriver) of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. There are limited employment opportunities with little shopping to purchase the items needed for a new baby. Stores can be as far as 60 miles, but because the community is nestled between two National Forests (Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto), it takes longer than 60 minutes to travel to these shopping areas. They are also located in tourist towns that can still be higher in price than the further Phoenix shopping centers.

Tradition and celebration of cultural behaviors are very important to the White Mountain Apache tribe. The Apache people have always had strong cultural ties with the land and its natural resources. They have been taught to respect and care for the land and living things. This tradition of stewardship continues to guide the natural resource philosophy of the tribe, which strives to protect the land and the life it supports while also meeting the cultural and economic needs of the Apache people.

In addition, passing on their native language is important to the tribal members. Both mothers, Delta and Vania, who recently received baskets are proud to teach their baby daughters the language.

Thank you for helping to make this service possible!

The Department of Health and Human Services/Center for Disease Control and Prevention, The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend these immunizations for children birth through age six.