MotherWoman Inc

A local leading force in the national revolutionary movement of mothering!

Amherst, MA - MotherWoman, Inc. is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $1600.00 grant from the Hampshire County Family Network (HCFN) to fund the only Postpartum Stress Reduction and Support Group in the entire tri-county area.

HCFN is a program of Hampshire Educational Collaborative funded by the MA Dept. of Early Education and Care. MotherWoman, Inc. is a local non-profit which provides support and empowerment programs for mothers in the Pioneer Valley.

With support from the HCFN grant and in collaboration with ten community partners, MotherWoman will provide a free 10 week pilot support group called the MotherWoman Postpartum Stress Reduction and Support Group for mothers of infants and toddlers up to age 4 who are experiencing postpartum stress living in Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties.

This group will be held every Tuesday at the ChildCare Outlook building, 56 Vernon St, Conference Room 210, in Northampton from 10:30am-12:30pm starting Oct. 17. This is a drop in group. Mothers can come to any session they wish.

The site where the group is being held offers free parking, close access to public transportation, and provides a safe and welcoming environment for mothers from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. MotherWoman will provide free, safe onsite childcare in a furnished childcare room and free snacks for mothers and their children. This group will be facilitated and supervised by trained MotherWoman facilitators and a licensed professional social worker.

This pilot group is the beginning of a more comprehensive program planned for 2007 which will offer additional postpartum support groups for women and families.

"This is a watershed moment in the history of postpartum care in the Pioneer Valley", says MotherWoman Director, Annette Cycon. "We are honored that HCFN has recognized the importance of filling this extraordinary gap in services for postpartum mothers. Postpartum mothers who are under stress need a place to be supported, grow strong, build community, and be nurtured as they find their own unique paths in mothering."

Program Collaborators include: The Birthplace at Franklin Medical Center, Child Care Outlook, Cummington Family Center, Gateway Parents Center, Green River Doula Network, Easthampton Family Center, Northampton Parents Center, Parent Education Department, Baystate Medical Center, and ServiceNet. Food and drinks, paper supplies and baby supplies are being generously donated by: Big Y, Cup and Top Café in Florence, Cushman Market and Café, Dean?s Beans Organic Coffee, Traditional Medicinal Teas, and Whole Foods Market.

MotherWoman is a local non-profit organization that provides psycho-educational support programs that create communities where mothers develop the confidence, self-esteem, knowledge, and practical skills they need to care for themselves and their children with awareness, strength, compassion and non-violence.