Discourse Analysis #2

BabySteps - A Community Ministry of St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral. Baby Steps, Dec.-Jan. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.

Baby Steps rely on a strong support system. As said on the website, “we rely on donations from individuals, businesses, and private foundations to guarantee that no family is ever charged a fee for our services.” Many women who attend Baby Steps are successful afterwards. With the abundance of help, these women have the opportunity to receive diapers, clothes, cribs, baby shower and so much more. A big thing in Baby Steps is having donations to help out other mothers. Some donations include toys, clothes, cribs and money. I would say these women are eachother’s support system. They help one another out by having stroller fitness where they do cardio and strength training exercises as well as weight loss after the birth. This provides a peer support environment. Most of these women are in the same predicament. They have no male figure for the baby and come alone. These women rely on the organization to help them since they are low in income. Baby Steps makes a difference and depends on us to provide many of the things needed for babies such as diapers, toiletries, new clothing, Boise transit bus passes and meter cards.

I read a success story from a mother named Ashley. She is a prime example of what I mean when women should be independent. She grew from her challenges. She graduated from high school earning her diploma with a 2 year old and pregnant with triplets at that time. She is now at a message therapy school with plans on continuing school as a CNA. She is a role model for other mothers at Baby Steps. She is determined to go beyond the horizons and show everyone she can handle any challenge put in front of her. The key to her success was education. Having a solid career is important to her and she sees that she must be better than her own mother. Her mother did not complete high school and she took that experience as something to better herself with. A said in her story, “As a single mother without the emotional or financial support of the children’s father, she is blessed to have a supportive grandmother who assists with her children’s care; allowing her to continue her education, work and provide for her family.” I give this mother credit because she showed everyone the baby’s father does not have to be there to be successful in life.

I found it bias that the program only helps women who are pregnant. Once you delivered your baby you can not join the program because the program is designed to help women have a healthy pregnancy and delivery. The women who can join is women who receive prenatal care, reside in Ada County, pregnant, English speaking and low in income. Women who did Baby Steps before can not do it again due to preventing a wait list. I think that women in general need help to raise a baby. I see why the agency only helps these women once so that they can learn from the first time and be able to save up and make money for the baby. I find it bias helping women instead of looking as it as generally speaking. Helping someone from one perspective is kind of iffy to me. I would want an agency to help all women in need of help. Helping others as Baby Steps does is amazing! The underlying values of this is that women should be successful without moral support. The world views is that people think that men are the reason for a women’s success which is not true. Ashley’s sorry is an example of being a single successful young women. She had no help and did everything on her own.