What is 292-BABY?

"292-BABY" is Greater Rochester's center for all things "Children." It uses a telephone number, a website and a television channel to form a single, seamless communication network to reach out to parents and caregivers of our youngest children. It is a telephone number (292-BABY = 292-2229) that allows the caller to talk with a pediatric nurse 18 hours a day for free. It is this very website where parents and caregivers can take part in forums, meet one another and generally access information and create "communities."  Lastly, it use Cable Channel 4 on Time Warner Cable to broadcast information and news related to early childhood. (Click here for information on television offerings.) It is also the home of GREEN - Greater Rochester Early Educators' Network which focuses on professional development for child care providers.  292-BABY provides parents and caregivers new options for accessing education and information as well as linking them to each other, professionals and to the community's other pivotal support systems. 

What does "292-BABY hope to accomplish?

The vision of "292-BABY" is for every child born in Greater Rochester to reach full physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual potential. In order to accomplish this, special emphasis is placed on supporting parents and caregivers during the child's critical first three years of life.

Why is it so important for the community to support parents and caregivers of young children?

Research confirms that the first three years of a child's life are critical for brain development and if potential is not reached then, the opportunity could be lost forever. Most social problems, from violence to failed relationships to poor academic performance, have their roots in early childhood. These problems and a host of others can be prevented when our community commits to making parent/caregiver support a top priority.

To this end, "292-BABY's goal is to create a "community" for parents and early childhood educators. This website is one initiative that is designed to "link" parents and child care providers with other professionals, existing community resources and each other. Others include using the telephone and television to increase options for parents and caregivers to access education, training and information. 

If the technologies have not yet converged, how can this community-wide communication "system" be created?

While it is true that the convergence or "unification" of the technologies of television, computer/Internet and the telephone is not yet complete, we are currently witnessing that very process taking place. Many experts within the field predict that by 2010, especially following the digitization of television, we will see many of the benefits of the convergence.

By acting now, our community can position itself to fully utilize those benefits. A prototype of these unified technologies has been assembled in our community and is presented in more detail on the technologies link on this page.

Who are the partners, affiliates and funders in "292-BABY"?

"292-BABY's" current partners, all of whom contribute to the network's operation in unique ways, have developed the concept over the last three years. They include: Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, Regional Early Childhood Direction Center (a collaboration between BOCES I and the Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities), WXXI Public Broadcasting Council, Family Resource Centers of Rochester, Monroe County Library System, Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Early Childhood Education Quality Council and Monroe Community College. Affiliates include ViaHealth, Childcare Council Inc., Time Warner Cable and Children's Institute. Funders include: Wegmans Food Markets, Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, Halcyon Hill Foundation, Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation and The Rochester Area Community Foundation.