Community event promotes healthy babies and families

The parking lot in front of the Joe McDonald Health and Education Center was packed on Saturday morning for the Love at First Sight Baby Fair. The event was the work of CSKT Early Childhood Services.

Their target audience was expectant parents and families with children 0 to 5 years of age. Judging from the number of families with toddlers and babies in car seats or strollers, ECS ticked all the boxes.

The first 45 expectant moms who came through the door received a diaper bag, according to Jody Jones, special services coordinator for ECS.

The ECS employees were all wearing fuchsia t-shirts as they registered visitors, handed out door prize tickets, answered questions, steered folks to tables they were interested in checking out, manned the door-prize tables, delivered lunches, signed up children for Early Head Start and Head Start, and held babies.

Dental, hearing and vision screenings were available, as well as vaccinations, either on site or by appointment later.  A truckload of free children’s clothing from the Missoula Walmart on Reserve Street was given away, as well as free books from the Ronan Library, the North Lake County Library District, and Missoula Friends of the Library Parents, Jones said.

The gym was noisy with the low hum of voices, lots of laughter, kids crying, little feet running and jumping, and door-prize winners being announced.

Attendees could get haircuts, family pictures and massages, and the face-painting table was popular with both kids and parents and kept six ECS employees very busy. The ESC cultural table had fun Salish and Kootenai language games with Frank Finley and Marquise Askin, while another was loaded with Play-Doh and tools for hands-on play. Job services and special needs representatives were also on hand.

Businesses from Arlee to Rollins generously donated to the Baby Fair, Jones said. Almost every table packed onto the gym floor was giving away free swag — from toothbrushes to cold packs and tiny stuffed animals to spices.

Early Childhood Services employees were counting registrations on Monday, and then will set aside event planning duties until next November, when they begin organizing the 2026 Love at First Sight Baby Fair, which is truly a labor of love.

    A bird's eye view of the Baby Fair held at the Joe McDonald Health and Fitness Center shows families, babies, and children enjoying the many tables with fun things to do and swag to collect. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Helping mom at the Three Chiefs table at the Baby Fair sometimes calls for a nap on mom's shoulder. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)