The beginning of the new school year is a great reminder that all children are different, and some have special needs to be addressed in order for them to grow and mature into the best that they can be.
Among those addressing this need first hand is Loma Linda-based KidShip, the only preschool program in the entire Inland Empire that brings medically fragile and developmentally delayed children together with kids without disabilities to play and learn in one supportive setting. Now in its 17th year, KidShip is a groundbreaking program that provides a safe and happy environment where children can engage with kids of their own age while developing empathy through interaction with children of different abilities.
“Each child at KidShip has countless opportunities to explore and participate in a variety of activities that foster each area of development,” says KidShip Director Andria Clausell. “Our staff of nurturing nurses, therapists and early childhood educators work together to maximize each child’s experience; and our low staff-to-child ratio ensures that we can effectively meet each child’s medical and educational needs as well.”
Clausell explains that everything at KidShip was created expressly to help children develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally and to help each child, in their own way, progress smoothly to the next stage of the learning.
The activities at KidShip are designed in such a manner that children learn while having fun with their peers. Singing activities, for example, introduce children to letters and alphabets; block counting introduces them to numbers; and story time introduces them to sentence formation and language skills. “At KidShip, preschoolers also acquire social skills including learning how to cooperate with other young children in different activities,” says Clausell. “They also have opportunities to build their creative minds and explore the limits of their imagination through various play and learning activities designed by KidShip staff.”
In addition to early childhood educators, the KidShip team includes a nursing staff that specializes in children who are technology dependent or developmentally delayed. Their needs could include breathing/nebulizer treatments, catheterization, feeding tubes, medication administration, ostomy care, diabetic care, oxygen dependency, seizure disorders, special diets, tracheostomies, and ventilators.
KidShip holds dual licenses with the California Department of Public Health and Community Care Licensing. Its unique portfolio of programs includes preschool and child care; after-school programs for medically fragile school-age children; skilled nursing care; and therapy services for medically fragile children including occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech. Find out more at kidship.org or on Facebook.
KidShip is located on the campus of Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Serving children and their families for nearly 50 years, Totally Kids is widely regarded as a national leader in providing personalized rehabilitation and habilitation services for children with a family-centered emphasis. Totally Kids offers a full array of resources for children who are recovering from physical trauma or surgery, or have suffered catastrophic illness, and those dependent on technology through a portfolio of acclaimed programs and services that includes acute pediatric rehabilitation (both inpatient and outpatient services), subacute, pediatric day health and residential intermediate care. Find out more at TotallyKids.com, or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/totallykidsrehab