In high school, there is a program called The Real Care Baby Program where you take a realistic baby home for a whole weekend.

“They have always had the appearance, weight, and size of a real infant,”  FACS teacher Jill Robinson said.

Robinson is the teacher at North who leads this program for the students. She has been teaching this program for as long as she’s been here, 22 years!

Robinson hopes the students learn from having the “baby” at home for a weekend.

“I hope students learn a realistic view of what the demands are of being a new parent,” Robinson said.

This program helps student know if they are, or aren’t truly ready for parenthood.

“Many students return after the weekend and tell me they KNOW they are not ready for parenthood yet,” Robinson said.

I was one of the many students that took the realistic babies home for a weekend. It was very difficult because it was so realistic and it was truly like having a real infant to take care of. The baby even cried a lot at night and needed constant attention and care.

These babies were not always as realistic as they are now, the school is actually on its third generation of babies for this program.

“The first generation had a battery pack which could be removed by the student, and it required 6 C cell batteries,” Robinson said.

“They had a metal stick for a key they were required to hold in place to tell the computer they were providing care,” Robinson said.

With all these new improvements to the babies, the cost also has gone up. The program is founded through the Career and Technical Education department and the Perkins Grant.

“The cost of one package that includes the simulator, car seat, clothing, bottle, and IDs is around $1,000,” Robinson said.

I hope this program continues to thrive throughout the generations ahead. I’m also excited to see the new improvements in the program that will be made in the near future.