Meet Dana Weintraub, this week’s Campus Celebrity! When she isn’t Netflix & chilling or shopping, she’s taking care of babies! If you’ve seen any of the articles going around Facebook about adoption agencies needing volunteers to either foster newborns before adoption or to spend time at the agency interacting with newborns and want to know more, keep reading. Dana spent three years in high school caring for babies between their birth and adoption.
Year: Senior
Major: Human develop and family studies with a concentration in childhood development, and a minor in education
Hometown: Weston, MA
What inspired you to take care of these newborns in high school?
One of my mom’s friends was doing it and I knew that they needed volunteers…I’ve always loved babies and wanted to work with them but I couldn’t work at a daycare because I was in high school. I have nine younger cousins and loved taking care of them as babies. I thought this would be a good opportunity to work with infants and to demonstrate responsibility.
What did having these newborns in your home entail?
A woman came to our house to make sure that it was a safe environment for a newborn and my parents and older sister had to get background checks done. The agency loaned us a car seat but we had to buy clothes, diaper changing supplies, formula, and bottles. Along with bathing them and changing them we had to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night to feed them and change them. We were basically acting as new moms, they slept in my room every night.
What were the best and worst parts of the experience?
The best part was knowing that I had an impact on the babies lives and knowing that they were in a safe home before the time they were adopted. I used to lay on the ground in front of the TV and they would lay on my chest and it was the cutest thing ever. The hardest part was saying goodbye because I knew I couldn’t have a relationship with them beyond that point. Also, the whole waking up in the middle of the night and then going to school the next day part was really hard.
How have you carried out your passion for working with infants/children in college?
Well, I’ve continued to babysit some infants. My major requires multiple practicums so I’ve had many opportunities to work with kids because of that. I also work at an early learning center in the infant classroom part-time where I care for infants between the ages of 3 months to 18 months.
What is your favorite baby animal?
Obviously puppies but I really really really love goats. And elephants.
If you had to raise a baby at UNH, where would you want to do it?
I would never raise a baby anywere here! I’d buy a house and raise it off campus. It’s too f*****g loud here!