True Love Waits is an international campaign designed to challenge students to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. For additional information, visit the True Love Waits Official Website.
Archdiocesan Resources
Gabriel Project
The Gabriel Project is an ecumenical movement of churches standing together in their commitment to offer assistance to women facing crisis pregnancies. Participating congregations will advertise this service to the community by placing a "sign of life" in front of their church.
Churches in the Gabriel Project stand ready to provide a mother with the kinds of assistance that she needs in caring for her unborn baby. This may include Friendship and emotional support, pastoral care and counseling, Medical Aid, Financial Assistance, Housing, and/or employment opportunities. The contact number for the Gabriel Project is 1-800-992-5359.
Baby Think It Over
The Baby Think It Over Program provides an experience for young people that simulates the parenting of an infant. The Program explores the emotional, financial and social consequences of teen parenting. Worksheets, discussions and written assignments are available to encourage critical thinking about the many dimensions of parenting. The Baby Think It Over Program is intended to help young people understand three important facts about infants:
- Babies' demands are unpredictable and must be met promptly
- Babies require a great deal of time and attention, and
- Babies change a parent's life profoundly.
These facts may seem obvious to adults who have children, but they are often a surprise to teens. Although teens are susceptible to peer pressure, they do not necessarily listen to the warnings of others until they experience the responsibilities of parenting for themselves.
We have purchased four Baby Think It Over infant simulators. They each have:
Lifelike vinyl body, 21 inches long, 6.5 to 7 pounds
- Anatomically correct, male and female
- Recording of a real infant crying
- Tamper resistant electronics monitor neglect and abuse events
- Easy, Normal and Cranky temperament settings
The infant simulator, or Baby, cries at random, unpredictable times 24 hours a day and requires the student to care for it by inserting and turning a care key in its back. Baby stops crying when the care key is inserted. The care key must be held in place from 1 to 30 minutes, approximating the amount of time needed to care for an infant. After Baby has been cared for, it will coo softly to give positive feedback. A care key is used in Baby's back rather than a bottle in Baby's mouth to reinforce the fact that a baby does not cry only when it's hungry. The care key is attached to the student with a tamperproof wristband, so that only the student can quiet Baby. Baby will also cry if held in a position it does not like or if it is roughly handled. Tamper resistant electronics monitor how well Baby is cared for by reporting neglect and handling.
The Baby Think It Over Program is a serious educational program for young adults and is not intended as a toy for children. It is designed as an aid for educators, doctors, and other professionals to help young people make responsible, informed choices about parenting.
View some Testimonials
Please contact Susan Smith at 410-547-5372 or for booking information. For more information about this program, visit the Baby Think it Over Website.
