It matters when children can’t manage their feelings or make friends.
As a society we take for granted the role emotional and social capabilities play in building children’s character and resiliency. And we’ve neglected to address its significance among children with special needs. But when children were being kicked out of school and parents were desperate for help, BC Centre for Ability knew it had to do something.
Funding from United Way of the Lower Mainland helped us launch Stepping Stones, a program that draws on evidence based practices to promote social and emotional competencies among children with special needs. The success of Stepping Stones allowed us to leverage $600,000 from the federal government to implement Social Emotional Enhancement and Development (SEED) – a three year project focused on building community capacity to support social and emotional development of children with special needs in BC.
Today, children like Fernanda who live with a neurodevelopmental disability have the right support and skills in place to navigate their social world. Once isolated and misunderstood, because of BC Centre for Ability and our generous supporters, Fernanda is now thriving. Watch Fernanda’s incredible journey here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Thank you for sharing Fernanda’s story and for highlighting the success of Stepping Stones and SEED. These are valuable programs for the community and United Way is pleased to lend support.