Media Contact: Brian Schleter, Acting Director
brian.schleter@maryland.gov
Talbot County Department of Social Services Hosts Foster Parent Training on Car Seat Safety and Infant Massage
(EASTON, MD – April 5, 2024) Talbot County Department of Social Services recently held an in-person training for resource parents on car seat safety and infant massage. The training was provided by Rachael Crawford, RN, Maternal Child Health at the Talbot County Health Department, and Stephanie Blades, RN, Clinical Educator in Women and Children’s Health at the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health. The training was part of ongoing training for resource parents throughout the year which has included trainings on protecting children online, being a nurturing parent, discipline training through the Child Welfare Academy, and administering Narcan and EpiPens. Child care is provided to the resource parents during the training and a dinner is provided.
“These trainings are so important to keeping our parents up-to-date on the latest trends in children’s health and safety issues and also provide a special opportunity for parents to get together and share ideas and socialize,” comments Chrissy Montague, Coordinator, Option Respite & Parent Education for the Talbot County Department of Social Services.
Rachael Crawford spoke on car seat safety and brought a car seat and a doll to show parents specifics on how to keep children safe in a car seat. Stephanie Blades spoke on infant massage and
demonstrated massage techniques that can be used to help calm a baby.
Talbot County continues to need more foster parents to help meet the needs of children of all ages, most recently including infants and school-aged children. The agency also gets requests from time to time for sibling groups and older teens who are soon aging out of foster care and need guidance in transitioning into adulthood. For further information on becoming a foster parent, call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371 or visit midshoreresourceparents.com.
Pictured from left to right are Talbot County resource parents Dan Zollinhofer, Sue Zollinhofer, Frances Seymour, Sharon Caldwell, Brian Flaherty, Sarah Baynard, and Bryan Baynard who participated in a training on car seat safety and infant massage.
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