|
 |
Helping hands
assist Crystal Dodge, age 3,
in exploring
her artistic ability.
Little Miracles
|
St. Charles
County agency meets special needs of infants and children.
By Kevin Kipp
Tears of joy flow at United Services for the handicapped. And why
not? Miracles happen—almost daily at this St. Peters facility.
The miracles may seem small: A 4-year-old takes his first steps.
Another child makes eye contact with a teacher. A 5-year-old in
a wheelchair joins play with his running classmates on an accessible
playground.
But to parents and staff, these sights are awesome wonders.
The 146 special educators, preschool teachers, childcare workers,
and therapists at United Services deliver an array of programs for
infants and children (up to kindergarten age) who are emotionally,
physically or mentally challenged. The little ones endure all manner
of developmental delays, including autism and cerebral palsy. The
programs—addressing speech, language, motor, cognitive and behavioral
skills include early intervention services, early childhood special
education, a preschool program for typically developing children,
therapy, child care and family support.
DeVante
Jones, age 4, explores tunnels
in a United Services play area. |
Typically developing kids learn and play side-by-side with special
needs kids.
“Inclusion is our philosophy,” says United Services executive director
and RCGA leader Billy Collier. “We believe it increases [the special
needs children’s] desires and abilities to progress to developmental
goals that they need to enter public schools, ready to learn.”
What’s more, points out Collier, parents of the typically developing
kids feel the policy “increases their children’s empathy levels.
They see it as developing their social skills. Children accept other
children as their friends, no matter whether one has a communication
issue or a physical impairment.”
The Pundmann family, of Pundmann Ford in St. Charles, supported
the agency even before it incorporated in 1977. Ed Pundmann says,
“United Services has been doing a great job since they were in a
little storefront on Campus Drive. We’ve seen them grow from an
agency that was struggling from one day to the next to one that
serves the whole county.”
The agency that once served 30 youngsters from rented space now
serves 900 on a campus with a 50,000-square-foot facility housing
27 classrooms.
While the county’s growth demanded that United Services expand,
that expansion has been underpinned by the community’s willingness
to commit necessary resources.
For example, in 1977, St. Charles County voters took advantage of
Missouri legislation allowing it to create a public taxing entity.
Today that entity is the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board.
In 1986, voters doubled the rate that the DDRB collects to 16 cents
on $100 valuation.
“Our parents helped pass that increase by supporting it in a visible
way,” Collier says. “We have been partners with DDRB ever since.
It has been a marvelous relationship.”
Missouri law instigated more expansion in 1990 by requiring local
school districts to provide services to handicapped children between
ages 3 and 5. Four St. Charles County districts contracted with
United Services.
These days, the Fort Zumwalt district accounts for some 80 percent
of the 268 kids in United Services’ Early Childhood Special Education.
The remaining children are from the Orchard Farm, city of St. Charles
and Francis Howell districts.
Kaylee
Turner, age 3, smiles for the
camera with her friend and teacher
Kelly Hantak. |
Dr. Bernie Dubray, Zumwalt’s superintendent, says, “I’m convinced
that without United Services these students would be hopelessly
lost if their first educational experience began at age 5 or 6.
They have exceptional educational programs.”
Peg Capo, DDRB director, says “We know that early intervention helps
children who are diagnosed with development delays catch up with
their peers. The majority of the children who attend United Services
don’t need additional support when they enter their local school
districts.”
And that’s a great investment, she adds, in the children and for
the districts.
Dubray agrees, noting that expenses for special education programs
are roughly twice the district’s average per pupil cost: “United
Services saves St. Charles County taxpayers literally millions of
dollars.”
While school district contracts and DDRB funding make up roughly
half of United Services’ budget, playing well with others makes
up a good part of the difference.
Lori Kohrs, resource development director, says, “We’re really fortunate
to operate in a community as generous as St. Charles County.” Cash
contributions, gifts-in-kind and grants for fiscal year ending June
30, 2000, amounted to more than $700,000.
That doesn’t include United Way, Medicaid, or Department of Mental
Health funding.
Support like this has also allowed the agency to add classrooms
or otherwise expand facilities in 1991, 1994, 1999 and 2000.
“We have formed true partnerships with several organizations in
the county,” she says. “The United Way, DDRB, the school districts,
and the business community. We have a very active 15-member board.
Over the years, their foresight has been crucial to our ability
to meet the growing demands for services in St. Charles County.”
But ask her what administration’s greatest challenge is, and Collier
doesn’t have to think long “Salaries,” she says immediately. “We
have a $4.5 million budget. Of that $3 million is for salaries,
and another $500,000 is for benefits and taxes.”
Collier says that two informal, internal focus group sessions yielded
“extraordinary feedback from staff. They love…love…the positive
attitude here, and the philosophy of the agency that shows respect
for individuals. They truly love their jobs, and they can see the
difference that they make.
“But in order for us to maintain quality services,” she says, “we
have to maintain quality personnel.”
After all, not just anybody can do miracles.
Kevin Kipp runs Bubble Communications, a creative services and
community relations firm in St. Charles. |
|
|
|
|
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
