ANNUAL REPORT 2012 - WBFN

Parents and Tots GroupsDowntown BabiesEstablished over two years ago, the Downtown Babies group (DC) provides a social networkfor new and established DC mothers and their preschool children. The group meetsevery Wednesday in members’ homes or child-friendly locations around DC.The Downtown Babies group continued to meet weekly during FY12, with a small but strongcore of mothers and babies/toddlers attending each week, and up to eight mothers attendingat a time. The group also met with other moms who could no longer attend the Wednesdaymeetings, to maintain as many links as possible. Outings in FY12 included visits to parks,museums, pools, the zoo and the Playseum, providing the children with a range of activitiesand socializing opportunities that met their needs. Email exchanges provided a forum inwhich group members could ask for advice about babysitters, schools, and non-child relatedissues.In FY12, a number of pregnancies and international moves meant that the group coordinatorsdecided it would be necessary to expand the coordination team for the next fiscal year.The group also hopes to make the meetings more sustainable by increasing the number ofmembers.Maryland Parents and TotsThe Maryland (MD) Parents and Tots group is a playgroup for WBG and IMF parentsand their children aged 0-4. Meetings take place on Tuesdays from 10:00am to 12:00noon, usually at a member’s home. The group enjoys a "Moms’ Night Out" every twomonths and a family picnic twice a year, as well as occasional summer outings. The playgroup’smain form of communication is its own webpage, BankFundKids (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BankFundKids/). All members of the playgroup have access and can postannouncements for play dates, photos of events, useful information or comments.The group has 19 members with a total of 27 children, although not all members attendevery play date. During FY12, the playgroup arranged its usual play dates and events such as“Moms’ Night Out” and the family picnic, as well as a baby shower.This year there were two main changes in the group. First, the play dates moved fromWednesdays to Tuesdays following a vote, as many parents were engaged in other activities onWednesdays. Second, in December 2011, Adriana Ferreira handed the coordinator role overto Monica Nermark and Veronia Montfort, although she continues to support them wheneverneeded. Monica now primarily coordinates the “Moms’ Night Out” and family picnics,while Veronica coordinates the weekly activities as well as extra summer outings, welcomingnew members, and updating the website.The MD playgroup is an excellent way to engage and enrich the intercultural learning experiencefor Bank/Fund children and their parents. Parents exchange information and experienceswhile socializing and sharing common reflections on a new international setting.70 71