By now, you’ve probably heard the news: Healthy Families will be the presenting sponsor for the 2012 #AWBU Conference!

Healthy Families is the sassy new makeover of an initiative that’s been active in Arkansas for nearly twenty years – you may remember it as the Campaign for Healthier Babies.  It’s a program spearheaded by the Arkansas Department of Human Services with the sole purpose of providing reliable resources for happy and healthy pregnancies, babies and families in Arkansas and western Tennessee.

Remember the Happy Birthday Baby Book?  They are part of the Healthy Families campaign, and thanks to the new Healthy Families website, you can access these free and informative ebooks online (or order copies if you prefer)!

It’s a natural fit for Arkansas Women Bloggers to partner with Healthy Families, and we are so excited to have them join us at this year’s conference.  You’ll see our friends representing the Healthy Families initiative the minute you arrive and check in for the conference on August 24 in Mountain View, and they’ll be with us all weekend.  They’ll give you copies of the Happy Birthday Baby Books, and they’ll be with us all weekend to meet and mingle with all of you.

Be thinking about how you can help spread the word about this important initiative.  There’s not much that binds women bloggers across Arkansas together more than the mutual desire that all of our families be healthy, happy and prosperous.  So whether you’re a mom to be, a seasoned parent or grandparent or are not certain whether having a family will ever be in the cards for you, join us in supporting Healthy Families.

We ask that each of you, whether you plan to attend the conference or not, unite with us for this cause.  Please consider doing the following:

1. VISIT www.HealthyFamiliesNow.Net
2. GET one or both of the free ebooks.
3. ORDER copies of the books for a friend, neighbor, your church or to accompany a baby shower gift!
4. BLOG about it.  Did you panic while dealing with postpartum depression or a colicky baby?  Is a jealous older sibling creating challenges?  Have you ever considered adoption?  There’s collective wisdom in both your experiences and the resources offered by Healthy Families.  Help others access that information and learn from it.
5. BADGE – will you put the one below on your blog?  At least until August 31, but as long as you like!  Link it to www.HealthyFamiliesNow.Net/ebooks so that others can access these resources. (Just copy the code from the box below and paste it into a text widget in your sidebar.)

We were thrilled to be able to award free conference registration during last night’s Twitter party to Karen at Ting’s Mom thanks to the support of Healthy Families, and they are sponsoring another free conference registration next Tuesday, July 31!  We’ll draw the winner from a blogger who is 1) registered on the Arkansas Women Bloggers website and 2) has the Healthy Families badge on their blog!

One of the things that is so special about Arkansas Women Bloggers is that it is truly a grassroots network – our mission of Gather ~ Grow ~ Connect is all about women helping women.  Intelligent and devoted sponsors like Healthy Families help us deliver a fantastic blogging resource to you.  Help return the love!