There's a new service being offered to new mothers in Jerusalem. It's called "Visiting Moms" and is based on the logical principle that there is no one better equipped to assist new mothers with the (sometimes overwhelming) changes that a new baby brings into the household than someone who has already "been there, done that." Visiting Moms was started and is directed by Dr. Marsha Kaitz of Hebrew University's Psychology Department; her expertise and research are in the areas of parenting, parent-child relationships and child development. Visiting Moms (Em l'Em in Hebrew) is based on a model developed at the Jewish Family and Children's Service of Boston, Dr. Kaitz's home town. Operated through the Hebrew University, Visiting Moms is based on a cadre of volunteer mothers who receive training from experts in how to help new mothers cope. The trained volunteers then meet with the new mothers in their homes, offering personal warmth, support and advice on home care. The goal is to help build self-esteem and competence in the new mother so that she can develop an ongoing, healthy relationship with her baby. Dr. Kaitz explains that while there are other services that help deal with entrenched family problems, there are relatively few that focus on early parental support and prevention of difficulties for the young mother who isn't necessarily in distress from a strictly social service point of view, yet may find herself "over her head" in trying to cope with all of the changes that a new infant introduces. The project has been launched with an initial small group of volunteers and new mothers.