Thereās a lot of preparation that goes into welcoming a new family member, from countless doctors appointments to shopping for diapers and other essential baby gear. Whether youāre a first-time parent or not, it is a new adventure every time.
With all the excitement and anticipation can come challenges to raising a happy, healthy newborn. For many parents across Colorado, resources and support are highly inaccessible, whether due to lack of transportation, language barriers, or affordability.
There is no doubt that everything is getting more expensive these days. According to the Childcare Opportunity Index, Colorado ranks 5th in the country for most expensive childcare, with the average monthly cost of child care ranging from $486 per child in Otero County to $1,645 in Boulder County. And unfortunately, the cost of child care is outpacing inflation. From 2020 to 2024, the cost of child care and preschool rose 29%, while overall costs rose 22%. The truth is, when parents are struggling to afford things like childcare, getting regular healthcare ā including immunizations ā is often swept to the sidelines during a child’s most vulnerable point in their life.
Colorado families are facing barriers to care, lack of resources, and financial strain like never before. Thatās why Immunize Colorado launched a Community Baby Shower program, which is making strides to support families throughout pregnancy, birth, and early childhood.
The Birth of the Community Baby Shower Model
Immunize Colorado began hosting free public events called āCommunity Baby Fairsā in 2018, which laid the groundwork for the organizationās present-day Community Baby Showers. They hoped that these early āfairsā would reach middle-class families in Aurora in order to provide trustworthy information about vaccines and combat vaccine hesitancy. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, highlighted the larger problem of vaccine access and health inequity. Immunize Colorado saw the need to focus on improving Coloradans’ access to vaccines, healthcare, and other social services. Pregnancy and early childhood are such critical times for vaccination and other preventive healthcare; in the U.S., for example, respiratory syncytical virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization in children under age 5, even though it is a vaccine-preventable disease. Because infancy is when children are most vulnerable to illness, Immunize Colorado chose to focus on promoting vaccination for the prenatal-to-three population.
Thanks to a funding opportunity from Early Milestones Foundation, Immunize Colorado was able to transform the previous Baby Fair model into Community Baby Showers, serving even more people and meeting a wider range of community needs. By fall 2025, Community Baby Showers began focusing on Coloradoās lower-income population, ensuring that their basic needs were met in addition to providing convenient access to immunizations and other helpful resources for parents, pregnant people, and their children.
Today, the Community Baby Showers take a more holistic approach to addressing community needs. New and expecting parents can connect with a diverse selection of social service-providing organizations, conveniently gathered in one place. Attendees can explore free services related to health, insurance, safety, child care, early learning and literacy, parenting, self-care, and more, all while keeping kids entertained with activities like arts and crafts. To make expecting parents feel truly pampered and mirror a traditional Baby Shower, the events also provide free food, chair massages, giveaways, and door prizes. In the past year, Immunize Colorado has hosted four Community Baby Showers in Denver and Colorado Springs, serving about 530 people total.
October 2026 Community Baby Shower In Review
Immunize Colorado hosted its most recent Community Baby Shower on October 25th, 2026 in Colorado Springs. As 1 p.m. approached, families quickly began to fill the gym at Hillside Community Center; by the end of the event, 200 attendees had cycled through ā the largest crowd to date! There were 21 exhibitors set up at tables around the gym, offering a wide range of services for families, pregnant people, and kids. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) brought their Mobile Public Health Clinic Program, while Safeway set up another clinic beside them to administer routine immunizations such as flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Together, they administered 25 vaccines to 18 patients. Between connecting with organizations, parents sat down for well-deserved chair massages while kids ate ice cream, played games, and gathered around for Story Time.
The Baby Showers primarily serve low-income families, many of whom are on Medicaid or do not have health insurance. According to attendee feedback gathered at the October event, most respondents agreed that free giveaway items were the most beneficial service offered at the event. Considering the huge financial strain of raising a child, this is not surprising. Immunize Colorado gave away about 2,561 diapers to families in need, in addition to baby wipes, socks, shoes, and other essentials. There was also great value in giving parents the chance to get a massage or take a moment to themselves while their kids were entertained.
See more photos from the event on our Facebook page.
The event was not only meaningful for attendees, but also for exhibitors and the Immunize Colorado team, who thoughtfully shared some of their favorite memories from the event:
āWe spoke with moms about the beautiful and messy parts of motherhood. We had 2 grandmothers beaming as they decorated onesies for their newest family member.ā – Pikes Peak Childrenās Museum
āOne family shared how grateful they were to attend the event, connect with supportive services, and find a culturally centered resource. Their appreciation highlighted the importance of creating spaces where Native families feel welcomed, supported, and seen. Events like these help bridge the gap between families and the services available to them while providing opportunities to connect with resources.ā – Sweetgrass Advocacy
āI talked to a mom of a 5 month old about how hard it is to go back to work and having to take an infant to daycare. She was grateful for all of the support services that were at the event.ā – Bright
āI met a woman who was recently struggling with the loss of her brother, which I unfortunately could relate to. We talked about how things get better with time and shared a hug. Another woman was pregnant and due any day, and we talked about the last days/labor and how bittersweet it really is! Everyone I met was really nice.ā – CGH Injury Lawyers
āMy favorite part is connecting directly with the community. At one of the recent showers, I helped a new mom pick out some clothes for her first baby – she said she’d just moved to the community and was due in a few months, and that this event was really helping her understand what supports were available to her.ā – Sarah Waraniak, Immunize Coloradoās Program Director
āI love seeing people’s faces light up when they come to the registration table and hear about all of the things the Baby Shower has to offerā¦ With the Showers, we’re able to connect people to resources and services while also quite literally showering them with free items providing a little pampering. And I love to see the kids in attendance having so much fun at the craft table, games area, and story time corner. It’s such a family-friendly event, which I think our attendees really appreciate.ā – Emily Clancy, Immunize Coloradoās Communications Director
āMy favorite part about the Baby Shower was getting to talk to families and give away door prizes. Taking care of your health is important but can be complicated in the rush of everyday life ā and that’s before considering all the barriers to accessing healthcare. It was really rewarding to be able to maximize the benefit of the event by giving away something fun or useful for families who took time out of their weekend to come get vaccinated and tour the resource tables.ā – Marynn Krull, Immunize Coloradoās Public Interest Fellow
When asked if they are more likely to get vaccinated and make use of healthcare or other services in the future as a result of attending this event, most survey respondents said yes ā a promising sign of the positive impact the Baby Showers have on communities. Delightfully, all respondents said they would recommend this event to a friend or family. One attendee explained, āYes, I would recommend because I think the event was very beneficial with information and resources I was unaware of before.ā Others agreed, describing the event as āa great way to find support in the local area,ā āvery informativeā and āa helpful support system.ā
The Future of Community Baby Showers
Although the Community Baby Showers have already come a long way since their inception, the team has lots of hopes for the future of these events. āI’d love to see us be able to commit to hosting these on a yearly basis in several different locations ā that way families know that we’ll be there to support them throughout pregnancy and early life,ā Sarah notes. Immunize Colorado hopes to expand their Community Baby Showers to serve even more people across the state with a wider variety of resources and services.
As with any community event, promotion can prove difficult. āI think the greatest challenge the Baby Showers face is getting the word out about this incredible opportunity so that as many new and growing families can reap the benefits as possible,ā notes Marynn. Through social media, Immunize Colorado has been able to affordably promote their Baby Showers; according to the feedback survey, most respondents heard about the event on Facebook. Still, Immunize Colorado is always trying to find new ways to spread the word.
Hosting a Baby Shower is one thing, but providing them consistently is another. Securing sustainable funding sources will be especially important to keep providing these events for many years to come. Emily notes, āIt’s been amazing to welcome back some of the same families who’ve been to a past event and are expecting again; they’ve clearly found value in the events, and I would love to be able to keep offering it to our Colorado communities.ā For Immunize Colorado, being able to promise that these events will return year after year would be monumental in gaining communitiesā trust and becoming an even stronger pillar of support for families in need.
Join our next event!
If you would like to attend, exhibit, or help sponsor our next Community Baby Shower, sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media to be the first to know about our next event. Please reach out to us via email with any further questions or interest in participating in our future Community Baby Showers!