Youth Resources
Youth Resources operates on the belief that all children (birth-18) learn and grow in a group of peers with a wide range of capabilities and interests. Our mission is to promote the values that embrace the philosophy of inclusion.
Purpose: Youth Resources is a multi-faceted program that assists families caring for children or teenagers with developmental disabilities. Youth Resources plays a direct role in assisting families in maintaining inclusive child care for their children or providing social and recreational opportunities for teens during afterschool hours and/or the summer. Youth Resources strives to empower and educate child care providers and community members on inclusion so that children and teens with disabilities have the same opportunities as their peers.
Services Offered:
Consultation
- Child Care (ages birth-12*): Inclusion Consultants give child care providers on-going support through observations, problem solving, periodic check-ins and advice aimed at enhancing each provider’s ability to include a specific child. They remain committed to helping the child care program work through any challenges relating to inclusion which may arise and are only a phone call away.
- Community Partnerships (ages 12-18*): Inclusion Consultants work with community programs to set up inclusive opportunities for teenagers with developmental disabilities. This could include an after-school club or activity, a dance, etc. The Inclusion Consultant will provide ongoing support and advice in a similar fashion as when consulting with child care programs.
- Child Care (ages 2-12*): When needed and determined by a full assessment, an Inclusion Consultant may recommend additional assistance than what is provided through our Consultative Support. Once the determination to provide Direct Support has been made, Youth Resources hires and trains a staff person to work within a particular child’s child care program. Under direction from the Inclusion Consultant, the staff person assists child care providers with gaining the skills and knowledge needed to fully include the child. Once those skills are achieved and the child is consistently included, the amount of support is then reassessed and changed accordingly.
- Individualized Community Activities (ages 12-18*): Each youth is assigned an Inclusion Consultant who is responsible for coordinating individualized activities based on the needs of the youth being served. This could include structured activities, such as participating in an after-school club, volunteering or taking guitar lessons, or could be less structured, such as hanging out at the mall, playing mini golf or going to the movies. In whatever environment the youth is involved with, the Inclusion Consultant will recommend an appropriate level of staff support to promote success.
Our Individualized Community Activities differ slightly depending upon the time of year. During the school year, Youth Resources provides middle school and high school aged youth living in the Madison Metropolitan School District with afterschool programming. Inclusion Consultants coordinate transportation with the youth’s family and school and may recommend that Youth Resources provides pick-up and drop-off services. Service hours are from school dismissal until 5:00 pm. During summer months services are either full day or partial day and are expanded to those living in Dane County. Youth participating need to be dropped off and picked up from a pre-arranged centralized location in Madison and will participate in a variety of fun filled summer activities. Day trips away from Madison can be expected.
Waitlist: Many of the services we offer are in high demand and have an associated waitlist. Each service’s waitlist is managed separately. Because of this, there is no guarantee that families and children who receive our services in a child care setting will also receive our Individualized Community Activities once their child ages out of traditional child care.
Public Education and Workshops: Youth Resources is committed to providing child care professionals and youth leaders with the knowledge necessary to manage a successful inclusive program. We offer public education to both adults and children on a variety of subjects related to inclusion, friendship development or developmental disabilities.
Resource and Referral: Information is available on other Dane County services for families caring for children with developmental disabilities. In addition, we have a small library of books on a wide range of topics suitable for all ages.
Who is Eligible: Eligibility is conducted by the Program Director and all children need to meet the eligibility requirements set forth by Dane County Department of Human Services.
Fees: Families are responsible for paying any cost associated with the enrollment process of the child care program they select. For Individualized Community Activities, families are responsible for any activity fees and a separate participation fee is charged for our summer program. A reasonable fee is associated with some workshops.
Please call the Program Director, Ginger Schwahn, at (608) 273-3318 or send an email for more information or if you are interested in obtaining services.
There are currently no additional UCP Services listed for your area.
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