By Paula Day

Polk County, GA, has no licensed obstetricians or hospitals that deliver babies. But is does have an Infant Needs program.

Begun in October, 1989, under the directorship of Sister Elizabeth Racko, DC, the program gives emotional, educational and economic support to financially troubled new parents. It is part of Samaritan House's ecumenical effort to help the indigent. Samaritan House is an emergency food pantry and referral service sponsored by the Ministerial Association of Cedartown, the seat of the West Georgia county.

Sister Elizabeth is sensitive to the effect of financial worries on couples trying to be good parents. "The birth and early years are such a beautiful time in parents' lives," the Religious observed. "To be in financial turmoil erases the joy of that birth and the child becomes a burden. This burden often begins the cycle of child abuse."

She does not see the role of the Infant Needs program as one to break that cycle, but her three-year service on the Polk County Child Abuse Council alerted her to the need for work in this area.

To date, 38 families or individual mothers have participated in the Infant Needs program. The women have ranged in age from 14 to 39 years, according to Samaritan House records, with the majority being in their late teens or early twenties. While participants come from the varied racial and ethnic groups in the county, they all share the same burden, financial poverty.

The 1989 recorded population of Polk County was 35,045. Figures from the Georgia Center for Health Statistics show there were 158 pregnancies within the 10-to-19-year-old group that year, a rate of 51.7 per 1,000 pregnancies. The rate for this age group was 48.8 for the entire state. In the county, infant deaths from any cause in 1989 were at a rate of 9.4 per 1,000 births. While this data does not prove a need for the program, it does indicate possible participants.

Volunteers staff the Infant Needs program and make presentations on nutrition, bathing an infant, diaper care, budgeting, child proofing a home and interacting with a baby. Current volunteers include a pediatric nurse and a former kindergarten director. All the volunteers are mothers themselves.

Sessions are from 1 to 3 p.m. the first Friday of each month. Most of the participants are referred by county agencies. As part of the program they received two dozen cloth diapers, other baby-care products and cleaning supplies, in addition to practical information during presentations by the volunteers.

After mutual introductions, a reading from Scripture, reflection and prayer, the group views "Hugs and Kids," a video available from the University of Georgia Extension Society. The film dramatizes a variety of situations parents might encounter when interacting with their children and explores ways to handle the situations. After a discussion of the video the volunteers talk with the new parents about feeding, formulas, handling and bathing a newborn, playing with the baby and the budgetary advantages of using cloth diapers. Care is taken to make the exchange mutual; the parents also contribute suggestions from their own experiences.

Facts and statistics, however, do not measure another "service" that is part of the program, that of emotional support. Sister Elizabeth or a volunteer make home visits during the weeks following the presentations to offer continued help and support.

Maxine Beckman, a volunteer and member of St. Bernadette parish in Cedartown, remembers helping a young woman whose husband was in prison at the time. Although she was close to delivery, the pregnant woman had ridden a bicycle to the session because it was her only way to get there. Mrs. Beckman offered to take the supplies given the participants to her home. When she arrived she found the expectant mother had just received upsetting news about her husband. The volunteer was able to listen to her and give her emotional support.

"They (the new parents) are generally open and not afraid to share their personal concerns," Mrs. Beckman said. "They're not awkward about coming. They feel it is temporary aid and are grateful. We try to keep it on a personal basis."

Linda Welcher, whose infant son, Tony Allen, is two months old, found the program very helpful because "things are so expensive." She said she got some good ideas on how to discipline her three older children from the video.

During the September 7 session, a young woman telephoned asking if her pregnant sister in Chattooga County could come to the program. Sister Elizabeth had to answer a regretful "no," explaining that the program was for residents of Polk County and suggesting the sister check out her own county for a similar program. Later the Religious pointed out the great need for such assistance in depressed rural areas.

This past summer the Cedartown Arrow shirt manufacturing company cut 500 from its labor force for one week each month, a financial loss the employees could not easily absorb. The county has a per capita income of $11,384, according to 1989 figures from the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget. The estimated median income is $25,000, indicating half, or 17,000 Polk County families, live on less. The county ranks 81st in income out of Georgia's 159 counties. Sister Elizabeth estimated medical and hospital bills connected with a term pregnancy to be $6,000. For hospital delivery, mothers must go to Floyd County.

Approximately 500 Mexicans live in Polk County. This ethnic group is vulnerable to economic fluctuations according to director of the Hispanic Apostolate, Gonzalo Saldaña. Many earn minimum wage or less. However, as a group they do not ask for assistance, Sister Elizabeth said. Only one of the 38 served so far by the Infant Needs program was Mexican. Another expectant Mexican mother was unable to attend the September session and Sister Elizabeth took a new baby-bed mattress to her home that afternoon. Because her husband had taken time from work to return to Mexico to visit family, Manuela Segura is not eligible for health insurance coverage in time for the birth of her first child in October. St. Bernadette's parish, through its Father Vincent Mulvin Fund, is assisting the Seguras.

"Through the assistance of love and volunteers, the churches in the area are helping these parents and their infant children start out a new life -- better and happier," Sister Elizabeth said, summing up the contribution of the Infant Needs program.

"Sister Elizabeth has had a big impact on the lifestyle of the indigent in this county," commented Jean Moore, lead nurse for the Polk County Health Department. "I wish we had 20 more like her."

(Persons wishing more information on the program may contact Samaritan House, 302 Wissahickon Ave., Cedartown, GA 30125)