Easter Seals foundation opens first Yuma office

The Easter Seals Blake Foundation has opened its first office in Yuma County to assist children with special needs and their families — thanks to funding from First Things First.

The new office offers both the Yuma Parents as Teachers (YPAT) coaching program and the Early Care and Education Inclusion Plus (ECEI+) program.

YPAT provides services for children from birth to 4 years with special needs or at risk of developmental delays. “Services include personal home visits of 60 to 90 minutes, developmental health, vision and hearing screenings, monthly group connections and referrals to community resources,” according to its brochure.

There are also opportunities for families to meet each other and become an informal support system for each other, said Annabel Ratley, director of Children and Family Services. Parents and children both need socialization opportunities, she added.

Nohemi Ortega, YPAT supervisor, said families who don't qualify for the Arizona Early Intervention Program can be referred on to the local Easter Seals Blake Foundation office.

Back in April, Ortega said, they were only helping four families and now they are providing services for 15 families in the YPAT program.

In partnership with Southwest Human Development, ECEI+ is designed to help people support children ages birth to 5 with developmental delays or disabilities, in the classroom, group home and family child care settings.

This program takes the away the fear that instructors may encounter when dealing with a child with special needs, Ratley explained.

Two more programs will be offered beginning Aug. 1: Yuma in Home Services and Yuma Early Childhood Mental Health Services.

Yuma In Home Services staff will provide services such as parent education, counseling, domestic violence intervention and/or education, behavioral management/modification, home management skills and connections to community resources.

Yuma Early Childhood Mental Health Services personnel will provide a wide variety of mental health services for children birth to five years old, their parents and other caregivers.

For more information, call the Easter Seals Blake Foundation office at 276-9225 or visit 1060 S. 5th Ave.

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858.