Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley

Programs: See schedule oeaster seals rio grande valley serves children and adults with disabilities through five programs:1. The early childhood intervention (eci) program serves children birth to age three with a diagnosed disability or developmental delay, following the state eligibility requirements. Services include assessments, physical, occupational, speech-language therapy, service coordination and family informational and case management support. We served approximately 2,000 children and their families in this program. 2. The child development center provides inclusive childcare for children ages six weeks to five years who need quality childcare services. Children with disabilities learn side-by-side their typically developing peers. We served approximately 106 children in this program year. 3. The pediatric rehabilitation program provides physical, occupational and speech-language therapy for children over the age of three in a clinic setting. We served five children in this program. 4. Adult services program provides physical, occupational, and speech-language services for adults who need therapy and do not have the resources to pay of services. We served approximately 19 clients in this program. 5. In may 2012, the texas health and human services commission (hhsc), awarded easter seals rio grande valley a contract to serve as the coordinator of a local early childhood coalition with the focus to support the health, safety and development of young children in hidalgo county, cameron county and willacy county communities. Components of this project include implementing selected evidence-based home visiting program models, developing an early childhood coalition and, developing a systematic plan with a data collection system to impact community level change with the goal of improving school readiness for children in our community. The data collection process using the early development instrument (edi) in partnership with school districts provides the foundation for the data-driven process. The coalition work expanded to include collaborations with other community agencies as the make the first five count coalition. Through the texas home visiting grant program, we were provided a consultant as an additional resource. This consultant from the company, clear impact has lead the group through the process of results based accountability to establish our common results for the community and related indicators for measuring our impact through a data collection system. Evidence-based home visiting programs provided by easter seals rgv under the dfps, texas home visiting grants, serve families in hidalgo, cameron, willacy and starr counties. The program is voluntary and match parents with trained home educators to provide information and support during pregnancy and throughout their child's first five years. Easter seals implements the parents as teachers (pat) program that provides parents with child development informational and parenting support. The pat model includes one-on-one home visits, group meetings, developmental screenings and a resource network for families. The pat programs serve families from pregnancy to age five. Easterseals has served 553 families in this year through the dfps texas home visiting pat programs. The second program under the dfps texas home visiting program grant, serves families in hidalgo county through the hippy (home instruction for parents of preschool youngsters) program. This program promotes preschool readiness and supporting parents as their child's first teacher. The hippy program served 95 families this year. 6. In august of 2014, easter seals was awarded the hopes (health outcomes through prevention and early support) program grant. The funding source is the texas department of family and protective services, prevention and early intervention division. This program focuses on home visiting services to promote healthy outcomes for children and families in hidalgo county. Program services include parents as teachers evidence-based model, and may include, short term counseling support, parenting seminars and limited childcare services. This program served 420 families in the program year.