Local Resources
Founders Lisa Platko Urbanski and Bernice Simonds Sando have faced the challenges of raising their children and fully understanding the battle facing other families in our area. Now they feel as it is their turn to give back to the community and through Brighter Journeys hopes to go the extra mile for children with special needs and brighten the journey of other families raising children with special needs.
Head Start is primarily a federally-funded program that provides education, health and social services to families with children aged 3, 4 and 5. Head Start programs help children develop academic and social skills that prepare them for school and life. While enrolled in a high quality Head Start preschool program, children receive nutrition, health and supports that help them grow mentally, physically and socially. Families are also offered support to help them obtain services for a variety of needs such as employment or housing. Families who are 100% of the federal poverty level are eligible to apply and the preschool program is free. At least 10% of a Head Start program's enrollment must serve children with disabilities.
At Parent to Parent of PA we are always striving to expand our reach to families who have a child or adult with a disability or special need. In those efforts, we have helped to create and administer the following support programs:
Early Intervention Infant Toddler and Early Intervention Preschool Direct Referral programs (EI Direct Referrals); Pediatric Therapy Professionals “Family Connection” program (PTP); Neonatal Intensive Care Parent Support programs (NICU’s); Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP- Trisomy 21 Parent Peer program and Pulmonary Hypoplasia program) and the Family Connections for Language and Learning program.
Early Intervention supports services and resources for children that enhance daily opportunities for learning provided in settings where a child would be if they did not have a developmental delay and disability, provides families' independence and competencies, and respects families' strengths, values and diversity.
PA Inclusive was founded on the idea that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Autism, and other forms of disabilities should be able to work and live inclusively in the community the same way anyone else does. To that end, the agency focuses on job training, employment services, community living and day services, housing services, and a myriad of other types of advocacy and support services all designed to help people with disabilities live a truly inclusive life.
Camp Orchard Hill exists to meet the physical, emotional, relational and spiritual needs of campers, families and our community through the love of Jesus Christ. Camp Orchard Hill is autism friendly!
Our Mission is to Collaborate with Community partners to support inclusion and understanding of individuals with Autism and to focus our efforts on offering impactful resources to help support their needs in our community.
S.A.F.E’s mission is to support and empower families affected by autism spectrum disorders. We work to identify services and activities specific to their needs. Our goal is to provide a sense of inclusion and opportunity for those families within the local community and the ASD community.
