HR Pulse - Fall 2008 - (Page 19)

“Quality of life is so, so important. We try hard to bring childhood back to these children. So much of what they go through—therapy, intubations, shots, surgeries—is not fun. We’re careful here not to overdo the therapy and education. We make sure there’s still plenty of time for kid stuff,” she explains. While Huerta comes across as relentlessly upbeat, she admits that the work can be very draining. “I’m here every day, and even I still get my heart broken when I see what these children and families are going through. When it gets hard— and this work is hard—I tell myself and my staff to just walk through the building and see what’s happening to get a reminder of why we’re all here,” she says. Huerta’s efforts have garnered much praise in the community, as well as the Madeline Sutherland Award from the Austin Association for the Education of Young Children for excellence in care of special needs children. Since Sammy’s death, Huerta and her husband have adopted two other special needs children—one with Asperger’s Syndrome and one with Down Syndrome—who are both age 7. One of a Kind For parents of young children with special needs, Sammy’s House (www.sammyshouse.org) is nothing short of an oasis. It continues to be the only child care center in the Austin area that is set up to meet the needs of children who are medically fragile and/or developmentally delayed, and the center does so at rates comparable to typical day care so that services are affordable for families. Sammy’s House offers three types of programs: child care and education, parental respite, and equipment loans. Child Care and Educational Services Sammy’s House provides care for children from birth to age 6 in a holistic atmosphere that meets their unique needs. To accommodate parents’ work schedules, the facility operates from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every weekday. Trained staff create individualized curriculum for each child. Medical and therapeutic care are integrated into the daily routine, and learning takes place in an environment designed to build skills in the areas of gross motor, ﬁne motor, social-emotional, self-help, cognitive, and language. The atmosphere promotes inclusion by putting children who have developmental delays side-byside with typically developing children. Enrichment programs for all children include art, music, and sign language. Weekend Respite Care Program The organization provides much-needed temporary relief to primary caregivers of children with special needs from birth to age 8. The program is intended to help reduce stress in the family, provide emotional support, prevent abuse, and minimize the need for institutionalization. Caregivers—usually parents—get a break from the demands of taking care of a special needs child while their child enjoys “A Day of Play” ﬁlled with music, art, reading, and other fun group activities. The program is open to all families— whether or not they use the child care and education services—and siblings are welcome. For many special needs children who don’t receive care at Sammy’s House, the Day of Play provides a rare opportunity for social interaction and group play. Therapeutic Equipment Lending Program The muscular, orthopedic, and neurological therapy that many medically fragile children need requires the use of a variety of equipment. Insurance plans often limit coverage for therapeutic equipment or do not cover the expenses at all, regardless of a child’s needs. If a family is fortunate enough to have a medical plan that covers their equipment costs, they may have to go through an expensive, trial-and-error process to determine exactly what equipment their child needs. Sammy’s House provides for short-term, trial use of equipment to ensure appropriateness and occasionally for long-term use when families have no other ﬁnancial support. The lending program is open to families whether or not their child receives care at Sammy’s House. One Family’s Story When Kurt Kerns’ daughter Elena was four months old, she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where ﬂuid accumulates in the brain. After undergoing emergency surgery, a shunt was inserted into her head to relieve the pressure on her brain; the surgeon told her parents that Elena quite likely would never walk or talk. Once Elena was home and stable, Kerns and his wife Elsa needed day care for her so they could continue working. They enrolled her in a traditional day care center but found that the staff was not trained to care for her properly and didn’t know what to do with her. Elena was often left alone in a chair for long stretches of time. “Eventually they kicked her out because she didn’t ﬁt in with the other children,” says Kerns. “We didn’t know what we were going to do, but then we heard about Sammy’s House and our world changed.” Prior to her enrollment at Sammy’s House, Elena—who is now 2 years old—received 19 HR Pulse Fall 2008 >> http://www.sammyshouse.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Pulse - Fall 2008

HR Pulse - Fall 2008 Contents Pulse Points Executive Director’s Letter President’s Message HR Leader Profile: Irma Pye Sammy’s House: Making a Difference in Austin Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies Increasing CEO Engagement Pastoral Care Retaining Scarce, Critical Talent The Engagement Dilemma Diversity Considerations…More than AAP & EEO Quashing the Workplace Bullying Bug How to Become a Strong Human Resources Partner Citizen Lobbyists Descend Upon Capitol Hill Conference Highlights Schedule at a Glance Sponsors Exhibitors Advertisers’ Index

HR Pulse - Fall 2008

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