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Blues and Beyond provides free online support to expecting and new parents

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A Hamilton woman has launched a free online platform to provide support for expecting and new parents across Canada.

Emily Fazio, 22, partnered with the Perinatal Support Workers Program, Soulful Balance and Precious Moments Babeez to build Blues and Beyond. She was inspired to create this resource after witnessing the challenges new parents face as her mom worked with them for the past 17 years.

“There wasn’t really much out there resource-wise or research-wise helping perinatal mental health,” Fazio said in an interview on Morning Live Friday.

Blues and Beyond provides free resources, education, outreach, helplines and referrals to new and expecting parents.

The nonprofit organization also has a reach-out program, where a perinatal support worker conducts initial and routine check ups to ensure the parent and child are doing well.

Debbie Fazio, the mother of Emily, said this platform is needed as parents experience a lack of support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These last two years have been a huge challenge because they don’t have the same network, the same village, the same people to actually come into the home or even to call and talk to,” Debbie said.

To continue providing free services, there is a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the organization and team.

You can call their free 24/7 support line at 1-833-340-3344.