October 19, 2009 Helping children with special health care needs, Yakima Children’s Village is currently expanding its building to accommodate more services to help children in the area. This video features Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and their fund raising efforts.
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September 29, 2009 View the ongoing progress of Children’s Village Community Room.
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September 18, 2009 At Children’s Village it is always about children and it is always about FUN! With the construction of the new dental area well underway, it was necessary to board up the windows that children used to gaze out during their dental services. So.. today the amazing Children’s Village dental staff painted the boards so that children receiving dental care would have something fun to look at while receiving very important dental care. This is especially important for children with special needs, who can be challenging to get a into the dental chair- and stay there. At Children’s Village we know that when children are happy, necessary services can be completed quickly and effectively. And that is what happens every day!
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September 2, 2009 Stay happy and healthy with Elmo as he explains swine flu prevention techniques.
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August 4, 2009 - The Community of Yakima and Children’s Village is being nationally celebrated as a “Star Community”
Yakima, WA – Children’s Village and the Community of Yakima are nationally recognized by Champions For Inclusive Communities (ChampionInC) through their community recognition program, Star Communities, for being an exemplar model of community based service systems.
Children’s Village (and the Yakima Community) were judged and excelled on all of the following key components:
∙ Supports to ensure that families partner in decision making
∙ Presence of medical homes that work in coordination with other services
∙ Early and continuous screening
∙ Adequate financing to ensure families receive needed services
∙ Services and supports are easily accessed, coordinated, and culturally competent
∙ Transition to adult life – including transition to adult health care providers as well as educational and independent living
A community-based system of services is an infrastructure that operates across service sectors. It facilitates the integration of services where a variety of programs work together to meet the many, varied needs of children, youth, and families in the community. Children’s Village is proud to be a community-based system of services.
“Children’s Village is grateful for the support from the community of Yakima and agency partners,” says Diane Patterson, Director of Children’s Village. “We are honored that our community has been recognized as a model. We are continually striving to improve and we know that we can do even better – and we will.”
Champions For Inclusive Communities (ChampionInC) is a national center designed to support communities in organizing services for families of children and youth with special health care needs. See www.championsinc.org for more information about the organization and their full article on Children’s Village and Yakima.
About Children’s Village
Children’s Village is a unique partnership that resulted from a community vision for easily accessible, comprehensive, collaborative health, education and social services for children with special health care needs. Since Children’s Village opened its doors in October 1997, it has transformed from being just a building into a philosophy of care for our Valley’s children. Over the past decade, 16,000 children and their families have received services, support and care through Children’s Village in Yakima and Sunnyside. For more information, visit Children’s Village online at www.yakimachildrensvillage.org.
MEDIA NOTE:____________________________________________________________
To schedule an interview with representatives of Children’s Village, please contact Candice Dhane at (509) 961-0611. Photos and b-roll will also need to be scheduled by calling Candice Dhane at the number above.
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July 31, 2009 Oh my…where do I begin…
Childrens Village at times has been my life line and my source of strength while going through challenging times with my son Kaleb. The staff, therapists, and child care director(Margarita) are absolutely WONDERFUL. Children’s Village is a place where you can go and feel comfortable even when your child is having their worst moment ever 
I have had MANY great experiences that have helped shape me and my son and that have made a tremendous impact on both of us. Without the Village…I have no idea where we would be. Kaleb has progressed so far in the two years time that he has visited and recieved service through Childrens Village. Its been a foundation for us to begin the process of healing and hope.
One of the greatest Experiences I have had at the Village is the opportunity and blessing to have Kaleb attend the Collaborative Classroom. Celah Wales, Kim Crieder, Season Almason, and Amanda Potter…along with several Central students, have made a huge impact on children with developmental delays and autism. They will never know the impact they have had on our children. I could go on and on, but to sum it up, Childrens Village is a place I would recommend to anyone. Its been my saving grace through tough times…Thank you for making this possible and for caring so much for our children….Heidi Wallberg
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July 29, 2009 Children’s Village & the Yakima Community was recognized this past week by Champions For Inclusive Communities (ChampionsInC). ChampionsInCis a national center designed to support communities in organizing services for families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Yakima & Children’s Village were identified as exemplar models of community based service systems.
Here is the full article from Champions For Inclusive Communities
Community members across Yakima County, Washington are passionate, to say the least, about providing services to children with special needs in their community. This is best demonstrated by their integrated, family-centered services.
Located in central Washington, Yakima County’s children are more likely than the average child to live in poverty, have a mother without a high school diploma, and speak a language other than English. The area is large geographically, and much of it is agricultural, serving migrant families. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation are also located in the area. These particular demographics have only increased the need for coordinated, culturally competent services for children with special health care needs. Yakima’s Children’s Village is the “door” families use to access these services.
The Children’s Village is a family-centered organization that strives to meet the needs of every individual family. Not only does the Village provide family support, it also provides clinical and educational services for both parents and children and serves as a resource to the entire community. It does all this with the assistance of a variety of partners throughout the community. Best of all, the Children’s Village has sustained their efforts for a very successful 11 years and, even now, is growing, changing, and expanding.
Family-Led and Family-Driven
It all started with families. The Children’s Village began over a decade ago when families of children with special health care needs decided they wanted a better system of care. This trend of family input is still in effect today. Beyond the Children’s Village is the family-driven Yakima County Interagency Coordinating Council. The council is led by family leaders, with family representatives planning the agendas. In addition to families, there is broad representation from service providers across the county. As Jackie McPhee, a program director from the Children’s Village says, the council is “family-led and family-driven.”
Gloria, a member of the Parent to Parent Advisory Board and the Yakima County Interagency Coordinating Council, and a parent of a child with special health care needs herself, says, “The Children’s Village is a shoulder to lean on.” Children’s Village and the surrounding community provides a learning environment that allows parents to educate themselves about issues involving their child and become aware of other supporting agencies in our community. Not only that, they are also key in providing emotional support to families who may feel isolated and overwhelmed. Gloria says, “When I look to those parents whose child has now become an adult, I can look toward the future and what I can expect [for my own child].”
Communicating with Medical Homes
Assuring every child seen at Children’s Village has a medical home was a focus of the Yakima community in planning Children’s Village and was endorsed by the Medical Advisory Committee. Community providers communicate regularly with the child’s medical home regarding the outcome of referrals as well as treatment plans. There is a successful focus on co-management between specialists and the child’s primary care provider.
Recently, the Village conducted a survey of primary care physicians to gather opinions and suggestions regarding communication with the medical home. The physicians’ response was tremendous, and their suggestions were taken very seriously. This is just one of the many ways the community works to ensure that primary care providers are working with all the other facets of care through every step of a family’s journey.
Family Leaders Promote Cultural Competence
A Children’s Village’s priority is to increase cultural and linguistic competency and outreach to non-English speaking families. A key program in this effort is the Yakima County Parent to Parent program.
Maria, one of the Parent to Parent staff members, serves as the Hispanic outreach coordinator. In this role, she provides emotional support to a large number of Hispanic families, coordinates support groups, and acts as a cultural broker between families and providers. For example, Maria provided support to a Spanish-speaking mother of a young girl with seizures. The mother was concerned with the changes she was seeing in her daughter after a change in medication, but was unsure about her ability to communicate with the primary care doctor and specialist. Maria coached this mother through the process of connecting with the physicians and gave her the confidence she needed in order to trust herself and her expertise about her own daughter, despite the language and cultural barriers.
A Vision for Developmental Screening
Another important partner in the Yakima community is the Enterprise for Progress in the Community (EPIC). EPIC’s Early Childhood Development Division provides early childhood education programs such as Head Start and Early Head Start. Children who qualify for these programs are screened for developmental delays and, if necessary, a smooth referral process is in place for full developmental evaluations at Children’s Village. The relationships between staff and a mutual commitment to coordinate services for families have been enriched by the partnership and program co-location at Children’s Village.
Transition: Providing a Link to the Future
Transition to adult life is something the community is becoming more aware of as time passes. Parents of younger children with special health care needs in the community are looking to those youth who have successfully transitioned to adult life for guidance. Meeting other youth who have graduated from high school and have moved on to find work in the community is a “light at the end of the tunnel” for parents like Gloria. And meeting those youth and their parents is easy to do through family events sponsored by Parent to Parent.
A number of programs throughout the community are working together to provide a resource for youth with disabilities to successfully transition to adult life. At the high school level, employment training opportunities are being implemented through community-supported employment providers such as the Provident Horizon Group. These opportunities occur in partnership with local school districts.
In addition, Project Search provides high school students with disabilities the opportunity to participate in workforce training in a hospital or business setting. A partnership between Memorial Hospital and Provident Horizon Group allows Project Search to provide a one-year educational program for students with disabilities in their last year of high school. This program is very successful at helping the youth identify the strengths and abilities they can bring to the workforce.
Children’s Village has also compiled a transition manual for families that better prepares them for situations they may face as their child transitions to adulthood.
Creating a Vision
Yakima is known for being a strong community committed to its youth. Supported by Children’s Village and its partnerships, children with special health care needs in Yakima have been thriving for over a decade. When asked what guidance they have for other communities that are hoping to have the same success in sustainability, Diane Patterson, director of the Children’s Village says, “The key is creating a vision that inspires your community to commit their time, resources, and energy. Once a community experiences success in supporting children with special needs, the effect is exponentially positive.” It goes without saying that a significant amount of passion and dedication must also back that vision. And that is exactly what this community has: Passion. Dedication. And a vision.
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July 28, 2009 The scaffolding is multiplying as Moen Construction and the incredible cadre of subcontractors continue to expand Children’s Village. The pictures don’t begin to capture the heights that the constructions workers are now working at. Gazing up, you can imagine the fear that must be felt working at those heights… the criss-cross of scaffolding provides structure, support and stability for the workers.
Parents of children with special needs tell us that when their awareness of their child’s needs occurs, either at birth, diagnosis of a medical condition or when their gut tells them that something is not right with their child, it feels as if the ground has been pulled out from under them. They are unable to breath at times.
Parents tell us that Children’s Village gives them the “grounding” or “scaffolding” to get through the most challenging times. When you are a parent of a child with special needs, those times continue throughout your child’s life, at each change or transition there are new difficulties. Additional “scaffolding” is needed. That scaffolding includes more trained professionals, funding for services and the physical space to provide that service.
Our community is working to provide the scaffolding for children and families through the expansion of Children’s Village. Thank you for being a part!
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June 15, 2009 Two Great Campaign Gifts in Today!
The Florence Wight Guild from Memorial Hospital just brought us a check for $13,000 for the expansion campaign. They worked very hard staging their annual Field Day event to raise this. Thank you SO MUCH!
The Washington Dental Service Foundation has granted $166,000 to expand the children’s dental clinic at Children’s Village. We have recently solicited our dental community for matching funds, and are eagerly waiting for our local dentists to make their gifts in next week’s mail.
This brings our campaign gifts and pledges to (drum roll, please…. $4,395,339).
If you send us your pledge today, perhaps we’ll reach $4.5 million by July 1.
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June 5, 2009
Advanced Life Systems Employee Contest Proceeds Benefit Children’s Village
What started as a simple employee competition turned into something much more. Advanced Life Systems of Yakima medics and staff come together for better health and a bigger cause – helping special health care needs children in the Yakima Valley. Their “Biggest Loser” contest consisted of 17 employees and raised $1,381 for Children’s Village Capital Campaign.
On Friday, June 5th at 9:00 a.m., Advanced Life Systems’ contest winner Brian Wakeman, and Woody Woodcock of Advanced Life Systems, will be presented a check to Children’s Village.
Advanced Life Systems’ “Biggest Loser” contest spanned a three month period, from Feb 15th to May 15th. The company matched the $20.00 employee buy-in of each employee and also donated $10.00 for each pound lost by each contestant – for total of $1,381 to be donated to Children’s Village.
Brian Wakeman, the contest winner, lost a total of 7.82% of body weight. “In our line of work, we assist children almost daily and wanted to do something that helped those with special needs,” says Brian.
“Advanced Life Systems is committed to our involvement in the community and Children’s Village is intricate part of our community,” says Woody Woodcock of Advanced Life Systems. “We wanted to help Children’s Village in the good work that they do – providing priceless services to children in our valley.”
THANK YOU Advanced Life Systems!!
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