The Afternoon Cerebral Palsy Program

 

GOAL: To provide severely disabled children between the ages of 3-4 with  stimulating activities while giving their parents a chance to spend quaility time with other members of their family before beginning the very phsically and emotionally exhausting job of caring for their disabled child.

 

IMPACT: 12 severely disabled children between the ages of 3-4, 12 families, with the average of 6 siblings per family

 

STAFF: Yael Pines, Director, supervises a staff of four instructors and three volunteers.

PARTNERS: Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, The Municipality of Bnei Brak

 

The Afternoon Cerebral Palsy Program is an after-school supplementary program for preschool children with Cerebral Palsy. The program takes place after a full morning of intensive therapy and is designed to provide the children with stimulating, fun activities while allowing their parents to spend quality time with other members of the family before beginning the very physically and emotionally exhausting job of taking care of their severely disabled child.

 

The Program serves up to twelve physically disabled children with normal cognitive abilities between the ages of three and four. The program is headed by Yael Pines, an early education specialist,  in addition to, on a rotating basis, an arts and crafts instructor, a baking instructor, a jamboree instructor, an animal therapist, and three volunteers.

 

Explains Yael Pines, program Director: “A severely disabled child needs his mother’s full attention, but then so do the other children at home. Through providing parents with a few hours to devote themselves to their other children, we have literally saved families from falling apart.”