The program is entirely free of charge. That’s why this gift from Heritage is so important. It allows us to continue this vital community program.
Mindy Dame, MS, RN, director of Women's and Children's Services and OB-GYN at SVMCHeritage Family Cares 4 You (HFCares4U) — a charitable foundation through Heritage Family Credit Union — awarded Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s (SVMC) Baby Café program a $5,000 grant in December.
SVMC, a member of Dartmouth Health, launched Baby Café through its Women’s and Children’s Services (WCS) in 2024. The program is a free, drop-in, informal breastfeeding and social support group for parents, providing lunch and access to lactation experts.
SVMC’s Baby Café is licensed through Baby Café USA, a non-profit 501(c)(3) that works to reduce health disparities nationwide and help mothers realize their breastfeeding goals. SVMC’s Baby Café meets weekly at the Bennington Community Market, located at 239 Main St. It is open every Wednesday, from 11 am to 12:30 pm. SVMC’s lactation specialists provide support to moms and baby weigh-ins each week. It’s also a chance to connect and socialize.
“This program brings together 15-25 parents each week to enjoy a meal or snack and talk with professionals who can provide advice and guidance,” said Mindy Dame, MS, RN, director of WCS and OB-GYN. “The program is entirely free of charge. That’s why this gift from Heritage is so important. It allows us to continue this vital community program.”
This is only Baby Café location in Vermont.
“Baby Café is making such an impact in our greater Bennington community by supporting the physical and mental health of parents and babies,” said Tracy Adams, business development officer at Heritage Family Credit Union. “This work closely aligns with the mission of our foundation.”
You can find a full schedule of Baby Café at this link.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.