WELCOME BABY
Helping you care with confidence
Becoming a parent, whether you’re a mom, dad, or caregiver, is a life-changing journey. It’s joyful, challenging, messy, magical… and sometimes overwhelming. Whether you’re expecting your first baby or adjusting to life with a newborn, Welcome Baby is a free program in Utah County designed to support you every step of the way.
We believe families who start strong are better able to stay connected and stay steady as life unfolds. Welcome Baby exists to give parents the support, confidence, and community they need right from the beginning.
Our Story – Growing with Utah County Families
Welcome Baby began as a grassroots effort led by local nurses at the Utah County Health Department who recognized a simple truth: new parents need support. What started as a way to serve high-risk mothers has grown, driven by increasing community demand, into a county-wide volunteer program supporting families across Utah County.
Today, Welcome Baby surrounds parents with practical tools, trusted guidance, and meaningful connection through home visits, early learning workshops, playgroups, and bedtime storytelling programs. Each service is designed to nurture children, strengthen families, and help our community’s youngest residents start strong.
Programs
Home Visits – Personalized Support for You and Your Baby
Parenting a new baby can feel overwhelming – but you don’t have to do it alone. Our free home visits (offered in-person or virtually) connect you with a trained volunteer who listens, supports, and helps you feel more confident during your baby’s first couple of years.
Each visit is tailored to your needs and may include:
• Tips on feeding, sleep, and bonding
• Conversations around postpartum wellness
• Guidance on your baby’s growth and development
• Answers to your parenting questions and concerns
• Tools to help you set goals and solve problems
• Referrals to helpful community resources
Whether you’re a first-time parent or simply need extra support, these visits provide a compassionate space to learn, grow, and feel more confident—right from the comfort of your home.
If you, or your children, are on Medicaid or WIC, you qualify for free visits with a nurse from the Utah County Health Department. Go to https://health.utahcounty.gov/home-visitation-programs/ to learn more.
Ready To Learn – Make Everyday Moments Count
Turn storytime, screen time, and playtime into powerful learning moments with parenting workshops! These free, engaging sessions are designed to help parents, grandparents, and caregivers raise confident, curious, and healthy children.
Through a series of 16 workshops, you’ll learn:
· Key milestones in your child’s development
· How to combine media, books, and hands-on play
· Simple ways to boost learning at home
Each month, you’ll receive a free children’s book and fun activity ideas to enjoy with your little one. And if you attend an in-person session—yes, there’s pizza!
Each month we offer 5 in-person and 1 virtual class. Virtual classes are held on Welcome Baby’s Facebook page – participants watch the class and fill out a quick survey to receive their free books!
Along with these workshops, you’ll gain access to additional free resources designed to support you throughout your parenting journey—every step of the way.
- 1st Thursday of every month – 6pm at the Utah County Health Department (151 S University Ave, Provo)
- 2nd Tuesday – 3pm via Facebook Live
- 2nd Thursday – 6pm at the Orem Library (58 N State St.)
- 3rd Tuesday – 10am at the United Way American Fork Community Center (90 S Center St, American Fork)
- 3rd Thursday – 6pm at Kids Who Count (345 UT-198, Salem)
- 4th Wednesday – 11:15am at the Utah County Health Department (151 S University Ave, Provo)
- 4th Thursday – 6pm at Kids on the Move (850 S 1700 W, Lehi)
- Benefits of Media
- Rhymers are Readers
- Music is a Must!
- Storytelling: You Can Do It!
- The Brain: How Children Develop
- The FUNdamental Powers of Play
- What is Emotion? Social and Emotional Development
- Who is my Child? Understanding Temperament
- What Do You Do With the Mad That You Feel?
- Learning Through the Early Years: The Benefits of Repetition and Variation
- Shared Reading: Tools to Bring Literacy to Life
- Building Blocks: The Sequence of Emergent Literacy Skills
- Teaching STEM/STEAM at Home
Playgroups – Connection for You, Discovery for Your Child
Parenting is easier (and more fun) when you have a community. Playgroups are a chance for parents and caregivers to build real friendships, share experiences, and support each other, while your little ones play, learn, and grow in a safe, welcoming space.
Designed for children 18 months to 5 years old, our playgroups offer:
· Weekly hands-on crafts, songs, and activities
· Opportunities to boost your child’s social and school-readiness skills
· Snacks and smiles during each in-person session
· A chance to feel more confident and connected in your parenting journey
Each of our 6 playgroups offers a space to laugh, learn, and grow – together. Right now we offer 4 playgroups in English, 1 in Spanish, and 1 in Russian – and you’re welcome to attend any that fit your schedule!
- Mondays at 10:30am – Utah County Health Department (151 S University Ave, Provo)
- Tuesdays at 10am – United Way Payson Community Center (41 N 400 W, Payson)
- Tuesdays at 11:30am – Spanish Group at the South Franklin
Community Center (770 S 700 W Provo) - Wednesdays at 10am – American Fork Community Center (90 S Center St, American Fork)
- Thursdays at 10:30am – Russian Group at the South Franklin Community Center (Provo)
- Fridays at 10am – Kids Who Count (345 UT-198, Salem)
- Fridays at 10:30am – South Franklin Community Center (Provo)
Bedtime Stories
This heartwarming program connects incarcerated parents at the Utah State Correctional Facility with their children through the power of storytelling. Once a month, volunteers visit the facility to help parents record themselves reading children’s books. These recordings are then sent home, allowing kids to hear their parent’s voice at bedtime—a simple but powerful way to maintain connection and comfort.
Note: This program is currently paused, but we hope to restart it soon. We are actively looking for volunteers willing to visit the prison monthly to help bring this meaningful program back to life.
Support Welcome Baby – Help Families Thrive from the Start
Thank you for your interest, your generosity helps new parents in Utah County feel seen, supported, and ready for the journey ahead.
Every donation—whether financial or in-kind—makes a meaningful difference. Funds go directly toward home visits, parenting workshops, and playgroups that strengthen families and build brighter beginnings for babies.
Funds
Donations to the Welcome Baby program will go toward funding home visits to new parents, parenting workshops, and playgroups.
Give Items Families Need
We deliver a care package after each home visit, filled with essentials like blankets, books, and baby clothes. You can donate individual items or pre-made kits (sizes 3–18 months). Right now, we especially need baby boy items, bibs, burp cloths, diapers, and formula.
Accepted items include:
· New or handmade baby blankets, socks, and outfits
· Diapers, wipes, and Frida Mom products
· Books, toys, bath items, and more
Shop from one of our Amazon wish lists to make it easy:
• General Welcome Baby List
• Boy Newborn Kits
• Girl Newborn Kits
• Community Baby Shower List
SERVE – Make a Local Impact
Support families by helping us create meaningful materials for parents and children.
See Welcome Baby’s volunteer needs here:
Questions about volunteering?
Contact the Welcome Baby Coordinator at natalyam@unitedwayuc.org.
Together, we’re building a stronger start for Utah County’s newest families.
2025 STATS
Ready To Learn:
- Books given away: 981
- Participants: 631
- Volunteer hours: 1217
Home Visits:
- Long-Term Visits: 127
- First Visits: 183
- Second Visits: 121
- Total Families Visited: 352
- Total Visits: 431
Playgroups:
- Parents: 1024
- Children: 1600
- Families: 555
- Playgroups held: 207
get involved
Volunteer with Purpose
As a Welcome Baby Home Visitor volunteer, you’ll be trained to provide supportive home visits (in-person or virtual) to new and expectant parents in Utah County. These 30-minute visits offer a listening ear, encouragement, and helpful information that families deeply appreciate.
You set the pace—choose how many visits you want to do each month based on your schedule. Many of our volunteers are:
· Experienced parents
· Nursing or social work students
· Individuals passionate about child development and strengthening families
It’s a flexible, rewarding way to give back—and you’ll leave each visit knowing you made a difference.
Intern with Welcome Baby
Want real-world experience that truly matters? Join us as a Welcome Baby intern! Each semester (including summer), interns help run the heart of the program—coordinating with families and volunteers, helping at Playgroups and parenting workshops, and even conducting home visits.
Whether you’re studying child development, family science, public health, or nonprofit work, this is your chance to make an impact while building your skills in:
· Family and community outreach
· Resource connection
· Early childhood education
· Program coordination
Now accepting applications for Summer 2026. We’d love to have you on our team!
Meet the team
Stephanie Anderson
Senior Director - Children & Family Success
stephaniea@unitedwayuc.org
natalya millet
Welcome Baby Coordinator
natalyam@unitedwayuc.org
Mia Barragan
Welcome Baby Americorps VISTA
miab@unitedwayuc.org
Welcome Baby of Utah County is a program of United Way of Utah County.
Phone and voicemail: 801-691-5440
Office Texting Line: 801-921-5485