Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BY LAURIE HAHN, Times-Union Staff Writer
A first-of-its-kind baby boutique that will hold its grand opening Thursday aims to increase the use of community health services while serving area families.
"Beds and Britches, Etc.," or BABE, will hold an open house from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Town Center Mall, 119 E. Center St., Warsaw. The "store" is operated by the Health Care Foundation of Kosciusko County.
BABE will "sell" new and used children's clothing and baby equipment, from strollers and cribs to baby bottles. But the merchandise in the boutique can only be "purchased" with coupons earned when parents participate in various community health services.
For example, parents can earn a coupon every time they take their babies to the Well Child Clinic for the necessary physical exams and immunizations. However, said the clinic's Deb Kotkovetz, the parents must keep their appointments and must bring their babies in for exams at the appropriate ages, such as 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months for the first year.
Another coupon is available if parents have their babies immunized at the correct ages, and still another is given for lead screening.
Other coupon vendors, such as the Women, Infants and Children program, also allow coupons when their services are sought.
Along with the open house for the boutique, the Health Care Foundation is running a Beautiful Baby Contest, in which cans featuring baby pictures of well-known local personalities are placed at various businesses. Votes for the most beautiful baby are made by dropping cash in the can, and the person whose baby picture rakes in the most cash gets to drive an Explorer Van for two weeks.
The cash is then donated to the BABE program.
Anyone with questions about BABE should call the Health Care Foundation of Kosciusko County at 268-2273.
