ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Between 2010 and 2012, 176 babies died in Monroe County before they turned one. The causes were many, but it's clear most happened in some of the area's most challenged neighborhoods. The Healthy Baby Network and its partner agencies are trying to do something about that.

Letoya Palmo has two little boys, Brandon, 4, and one-year-old Braylen.

"I was living on my own basically and I just wanted better. I wanted better for my kids. I wanted something that was going to be more beneficial for my kids that I didn't have when I was young," said Palmo.

Palmo found help with the Healthy Moms program that support mothers through pregnancy education classes, mental health counseling and even job training programs.

"I was stressed out wondering what my next move was, but because I didn't want to sit there and be lazy and just sit there and say forget about this whole thing, I thought, 'I'm going to be a mom.' I gotta raise a whole other human being and I want that human being to be a good human being," said Palmo.

Palmo was with other members of the group at the conference Thursday organized by the Healthy Baby Network. There were workshops on everything from building safe home environments to building resilience to stress and trauma.

The event was for many professionals who are already working to help women have safe and healthy pregnancies and later become loving and caring moms. The event is also to share new best practices and learn that others are all in this effort together.

"It's galvanizing to sit with other professionals and have the experience of sharing how hard the work is you're doing, how wonderful it is, your successes and failures and best practices. We really think it's a opportunity to move the mission forward in our community," said Lauren Deutsch, Healthy Baby Network executive director.

"Mothers have the power to birth, to heal, to protect, to ignite, to propel, to empower, to nurture, to transform and to courage," said Melany Silas, Monroe Community College professor. 

Motivated by speakers like Silas, Palmo said she plans to continue working with the group to be a good mother and to share her story with other mothers, hoping to inspire them to do the same.

"Most people think about nonsense and fighting, and even moms do stuff like that. Nowadays it's about drama. But you still have some moms like me who want to work, go to school. I want to be a good role model," said Palmo.