In the heart of Kendall, on a small plot in need of a little tending, sits the Arc of Kendall, quietly offering early intervention assistance to local developmentally challenged children — for free.
Doctors still don’t know why some children suffer from developmental disabilities and others progress on the standard path. For those kids in Kendall who face developmental challenges (infants to teenagers), the Arc of Kendall might be a source of help.
According to Arc of Kendall therapy supervisor Dawn Eustace, Miami-Dade County is the only county in the state that offers services like these to young kids. With generous support from Miami-Dade Public Schools, United Way and Children’s Trust, the facility treats children facing cognitive, gross motor skill or communication delays as well as kids with autism and cerebral palsy among other disabilities.
“This is a program unique to Miami-Dade,” Eustace said. “And people don’t know it’s free.”
The Arc of South Florida parent organization serves more than 60,000 Miami-Dade County citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It has grown into a major community agency, providing a variety of programs and services that affect hundreds of participants, their families and the community each day.
On a recent morning, volunteers from Dade County Federal Credit Union’s Gen-You committee visited the Arc of Kendall to play with the kids and teach them their first lesson in financial literacy.
“The Arc of Kendall is a great organization which happens to be right down the street from our Kendall branch,” said Paola Chigne, director of marketing and youth development for the credit union. “We believe it is a critical part of our mission to help organizations that serve our community’s youth.”
The Arc of Kendall offers year-round services for children in the area, serving mainly those in Kendall but some kids travel from as far as Florida City. With a student to staff ratio of 1-to-4, the organization offers a variety of services including early intervention assistance and aftercare programs.
According to Eustace, parents should look for the following red flags if they think their child might have a developmental issue:
• Not interacting normally, such as not showing eye contact.
• Interacting more with objects than people.
• Not making sounds. Not babbling.
• Stops talking.
• Strong sensory reactions to noise or food.
• Pediatricians noting that child is not acquiring developmental milestones.
• Attention deficit issues.
• Not sitting on their own by six months of age.
• Not walking by 13 months.
“The Arc of Kendall is the exact type of organization that Dade County Federal likes to support,” said Jessica Vasquez of the credit union’s Gen-You group. “We are constantly looking for ways to reach young people, teach financial literacy and assist worthy organizations.”
To donate, volunteer or for more information on the Arc of Kendall, visits www.arcsofla.org. Organizations interested in offering youth financial literacy programs can contact Jessica Vasquez of Dade County Federal Credit Union at 786-845-3187 or Jessica.Vasquez@dcfcu.org.
