Studies from all over the world have proven that daily contact is essential for the healthy cognitive development of babies. Let’s hear about an Israeli organization that understands how important hugs and physical contact is for an infant to build a sense of security at the start of a child’s life.

The First Hug association aims to care for every abandoned and lonely baby in the hospitals of Israel. They are committed to filling the void created by the absence of a mother and father, and provide the emotional and cognitive needs that are so crucial for a baby’s proper development.

The medical staff assigned to such highly populated nurseries care for the babies’ health and physical needs, but due to the enormous daily workload, cannot care for the babies’ emotional needs. This is why First Hug was born.

Currently, the First Hug Association has an array of approximately 500 volunteers who care for the lonely and abandoned babies in all the hospitals in which the association operates. The First Hug volunteers come and care for the babies each and every day, filling the void created by the absence of a parent. With grace and kindness, they provide the abandoned babies with the soft touch, caresses, warmth, and love that they need in the first months of their lives.