17 Oct Harry L. & Helen M. Rust Charitable Foundation Awards $15,000 Grant to Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI)

Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from Harry L. & Helen M. Rust Charitable Foundation to provide mental health supports for children in the Kansas City metro who are visually impaired or have multiple disabilities by contracting with a Therapy Consultant for services.

The Therapy Consultant will target children ages 0-3 in the Early Learning Program (Early Intervention and Preschool Programs), offering in-depth therapy and support to families, including connections to resources and parent support groups. The Therapy Consultant will also train staff on cultural humility and reflective supervision. This program will serve 200 youth enrolled in CCVI programs, their families, and staff.

Expanded services are needed in the Early Learning program to offer families the guidance and tools required to address challenges and support children with a diagnosis during the formative years of 0-3. Families with babies and very young children who have just been diagnosed with a visual impairment are dealing with an array of questions, concerns, and challenges. Parents may have no previous knowledge about visual impairment or how to best support their child. This can lead to parents feeling isolated, inadequate, and overwhelmed. They are also often faced with a range of financial challenges. Accessing the support and care they need is difficult due to transportation issues, lack of information, and stigma. These challenges can all be threats to mental health and a parent’s ability to be the best support for themselves and their child.

CCVI’s target population is children who are blind or visually impaired, from birth through school age, within a 150-mile radius of the agency. CCVI teachers, therapists, and specialists provide services in the core program areas including the Early Intervention Program (birth to age three), the Preschool/Kindergarten Program (ages two to six), and Outreach Services primarily for school-age children.