The Infant Formula Initiative began in 2005 in response to the growing realization that some mothers of newborns in our commuinty were not able to provide their baby with enough to eat. With assistance available through the 
Idaho Women, Infants & Children Program, it was presumed these infants were receiving enough nutrition to ensure proper growth and development. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Thanks to the initial support from The Papoose Club, we are now able to identify mothers and children in need through our individual Case Management meetings and provide them with 3 cans of infant formula a month until the child reached one year of age.
Providing nutrition to babies is critical because of the tragic implications of hunger in infancy. During this important developmental time, babies who do not receive adequate nutrition experience growth retardation, decreased resistance to infections and disease, impaired learning ability and increased mortality. As these children grow, the effects of early hunger can affect the community as a whole, at a cost much greater than that of prevention.
With special thanks to The Papoose Club for their ongoing partnership in suppoty of this program, we have distributed the equivalent of 7,500 bottles of infant formula to hungry babies in our community since it's implementation in 2005.
