The Carbon County Collaborative, which is comprised of several area agencies that aim to help children and families, met recently to discuss the following initiatives being planned for the area.

• Carbon County Kid Zone will hold its next car seat check at Narrow Valley Sportsplex in Nesquehoning on May 22. More information will be released closer to the date.

• Kid Zone and Lehigh Valley Health Network are looking to establish a pack and play program in the county, which would provide people who do not have cribs or a safe sleeping space for a child ready for when they leave the hospital with a pack and play to use.

• Kerri Quick of St. Luke’s announced that the Panther Valley School District will hold a resource fair, formerly the health carnival, from 4-6 p.m. on May 18 at the high school football stadium in Lansford.

• Lauren Stracey with Maternal and Family Health Services announced that the WIC Nutrition program will be expanding food packages in April for those in the program with the agency. It will include a variety of alternative foods to help children with food allergies.

In addition, the Carbon office has a menstrual pantry and hygiene pantry available to anyone in need of feminine products or hygiene products.

Maternal and Family Health Services has also begun reproductive health services at its Lehighton office in the Body and Soul Complex building. Walk-ins are accepted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays for reproductive health services, including breast and cervical cancer screenings and reproductive life planning.

More information can be found at the website https://mfhs.org/locations/carbon-co-center-body-soul-complex.

• Carolyn Williams, a case manager with Carbon County CareerLink, announced that the organization’s annual job fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 9 at the Carbon Plaza Mall, 1241 Blakeslee Boulevard, Drive East, Lehighton. More information can be found at carboncountychamber.org.

Williams also said that the Summer Youth program applications will be accepted beginning in April. Applications can be obtained through CareerLink at info@carboncareerlink.org. Employers willing to hire students are also asked to reach out to CareerLink for the upcoming program.

• The Carbon County emergency responders are sponsoring an open house at the Emergency Operations Center from 9 a.m. to noon on May 9. The event will highlight the training efforts first responders go through to best prepare for emergencies.