Infant Crisis Services Gives to Families in Need

By Alex Cameron, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Infant Crisis Services has been around now for 24 years, but until recently, have never had they had to provide services to more than 1,000 infants in crisis.

Saudia Green filled her trunk with essentials, including diapers and formula from the Infant Crisis Services.

Green receives much-needed supplies for her none-month-old child through WIC, but it hasn't been enough lately.

"It's just not quite enough," Green said.

The mission at the Infant Crisis Services is to try and make sure no infant or toddler is without formula, food and diapers. Jo Jones of the ICS said it's not just the WIC families visiting the them for help.

"Maybe the car broke down and all that little extra money they had went to that car repair," Jones said. "We're also seeing those families that you wouldn't expect."

The result, she said, is a significant increase in demand for their services.

"When I started here seven years ago, we were seeing anywhere from 20 to 25 babies a day," Jones said. "Now, we are seeing 60, 65 babies a day, so it has grown incredibly."

Donations, meanwhile, have not grown and the Infant Crisis Services and its army of volunteers has had to do more with relatively less.

"This is the time we need diapers, formula, baby food," Jones said. "Those bare, essentials to get those clients through these tough weeks and months."

Green said she isn't sure where she would have gone if Infant Crisis Services hadn't been there to help her.

"It's a great deal of help," Green said.

Infant Crisis Services takes clients through referral only and for a maximum of four visits. They said, in material and time, each visit costs about $125.

Infant Crisis Services will soon move into a new, much larger facility, at which point they expect to serve even more clients than they are currently servicing.