Maria Fattore's Contact Details

Maria Fattore's Company Details

Carrying Onward Inc.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States • 1 Employees
Nonprofit Organization Management

Carrying Onward provides baby carriers to families at risk of their children being removed from their home and placed into foster care. Baby carriers tend to be forgotten about on the list of items provided to these families, but they provide many benefits for the relationship between caregiver and child. The benefits of baby wearing can have a long-term impact on the strength of familial bonds. For the infant, carriers provide comfort and security. The babies are then less likely to cry and make their parents overwhelmed or agitated, which can avoid physical abuse that may result in the infant or other children being removed from their home. Carriers also allow parents to go hands free, so they can easily complete daily tasks and care for older children while still getting plenty of face-to-face bonding with their infant. For those who enter foster care and are aging out and transitioning into the world, our goals are preventing homelessness, incarceration, trafficking, drug addiction, pregnancy, suicide, unemployment and so much more that they experience once they age out. We help youth define and achieve their own success in 12 focus areas: Mentorship, Peer Connections, Family Connections, Physical and Mental Healthcare, Education Employment and Entrepreneurship, Housing Assistance, Transportation Assistance, Financial Literacy, Activities of Daily Life, Leadership Training, Sex Education and Parental Mentorship. The youth will interview and select their own mentors to be that family they never found. We will provide case management for these youth by coordinating with other organizations to ensure these youth are maximizing all other programs and services available to them. Currently this is a very fragmented process and difficult for youth to navigate by themselves. We are always looking for mentors and volunteers, so if our goals and mission align with yours, please contact us to discuss how you can be involved!