Early Childhood Program

What is Raising Baby?

Raising Baby is a free, live online home visiting program that provides customized, individual sessions with a Parent Coach and Early Childhood Clinician. In addition, you can join other families in a virtual group setting to support each other and build community relationships.

Who can join Raising Baby?

• Pregnant families in their third trimester
• Families with babies under 1 year of age

What to expect on each visit?

Together with your Raising Baby Team, you will discuss parenting challenges and successes that include the following topics:

• Child development (social-emotional, motor, language, and cognitive)
• Strengthening family relationships
• Challenges impacting your parenting values and decisions
• Personalized community resources and screenings, if needed
• Services are delivered through a culturally sensitive and trauma-informed lens

Benefits

• Raising Baby is free
• No insurance is required
• Visits are tailored to each individual family’s needs
• Welcome baskets with baby essentials provided at sign up
• Free use of electronic devices available while enrolled in our program
• Free children’s books

Meet our Raising Baby Team

Lisa Weisbaum, LCSW, Director of Early Childhood Program

Lisa Weisbaum comes with 15 years of experience working with children and families who have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect through in-home visits, mental health assessments, and crisis interventions. Most recently, Lisa supervised an assessment program with children ages birth to five who were referred due to detention by the Department of Children and Family Services. Lisa is also a member of the Zero to Three organization.

Melanie Weiner, LMFT, Early Childhood Clinician

Melanie Weiner has over 13 years of experience in Perinatal Mental Health. She facilitates pregnancy and postpartum support groups for parents of all genders. Melanie has been working with parents and families as a clinician, group facilitator, and educator in multiple settings, and has been with Jewish Family Service LA since 2007. She is a member of Postpartum Support International.

Sarah Kirkpatrick, Early Childhood Clinician

Sarah Kirkpatrick has over ten years of experience as a mental health clinician with a specialization in early childhood (age birth to five years old). She is certified in Child Parent Psychotherapy, an evidenced-based treatment modality that supports improvement in attachment and relationship between a parent and child following a traumatic or distressing event. She is experienced in increasing awareness of early childhood development, how it impacts behavior, and how to foster secure and supportive parent-child relationships.

Sonja Salcedo, MHS, CLEC, Lactation Educator

Sonja Salcedo has 18 years of experience providing supportive services to families. Sonja has delivered prenatal and postpartum support through parenting education, support groups and child development activities. She is a certified Lactation educator with over six years of breastfeeding education, bringing an added level of service to Raising Baby.

Sara Beckley, Parent Coach

Sara Beckley has over eight years of experience as an Infant/Toddler Developmental Teacher, working with children aged three months to three years. Her education and training in child development and early learning provide firsthand knowledge of the importance of early intervention.

To learn more and connect with our Raising Baby team, please fill out the form below.