Since our founding over 100 years ago, Easterseals has connected in meaningful ways with marginalized communities, beginning with children with disabilities. Today, we're ensuring that disabled people of all ages, veterans and military families, and low-income families are full participants in the community. For Easterseals to achieve this goal, we must remain in conversation with those we serve, so that our programs help participants realize their goals.
What We're Doing & Why
Among our strategic aspirations, we seek to extend our impact into areas of high need. Of particular concern are the longstanding racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes, as well as poorer results for people with disabilities and those of lower economic status. A recent accomplishment is expansion of our Early Head Start program into Ward 5 of Washington, DC, serving an additional 80 children and expectant mothers from low-income families.
Adult & Family Services
To improve health and reduce isolation in adults with disabilities, we offer engaging activities and expansive resources. To sustain families and caregivers, we provide comprehensive services and supports.
- Nearly 100% of clients in our ADS receive financial support, ensuring that adults of modest financial means can benefit from this service. In fact, we provided $551,034 in unreimbursed care to ADS clients during the last fiscal year.
- 57% of ADS clients are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American.
Child Development Centers and Head Start/Early Head Start Programs
To help each child reach full potential, we provide personalized child development and early intervention services.
- 54% of Child Development Center students are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or of multiple ethnicities.
- 17% of students enrolled in Easterseals child development programs have a learning or physical disability.
- 100% of families served by Easterseals Head Start and Early Head Start programs meet federal low-income guidelines.
- Easterseals provided $229,117 in child development scholarships last year to ensure that children from low-income families and children of wounded warriors can access our high-quality child development.
- Easterseals Head Start programs provided $458,234 in education and support services last year.
Military & Veterans Services
To enable military families to integrate into the community, we provide a suite of services, including employment support and mental healthcare.
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Easterseals:
- We provided $1,390,770 in care not reimbursed by insurance or copays last year to ensure that all veterans, active-duty service members, and their family members can access our lifesaving services.
- 49% of Cohen Clinic clients are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or of multiple ethnicities.
Employment:
- Last year, the value of free career coaching provided through our Veteran Staffing Network exceeded $53,900.
- Since 2017, nearly 60% of the clients placed in a job by VSN are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or of multiple ethnicities.
- Of the 211 homeless veterans enrolled in our HVRP program last year, 53 are women.
- Since program inception, more than 15,000 veterans, military spouses, and adults with disabilities have received career coaching, putting them on the path to finding meaningful employment.
Respite:
- More than 300 children of all abilities and their families are supported through our Respite programs, which help reduce stress and keep military and civilian families whole.
- Our weekend Respite program provided $64,865 worth of care and peace of mind to families, free of charge.
* Unless otherwise specified, figures reflect the most recent fiscal year.
Assessing Our Progress
We hold ourselves accountable that our services are delivering the impact our clients seek. To ensure that, we look to client input to help us set outcomes targets that reflect meaningful progress for our clients within the context of their own goals and desires.
- Our inclusive approach to learning means that ALL children learn together and develop healthy relationships with one another. The results are measurable: 98% of children who exhibited delays in social-emotional skills showed growth as a result of our early intervention services.
- 12 parents of children in our CDCs sit on the Parents Advisory Council, which provides critical program feedback and shapes decision making.
- 10 parents are a part of the Easterseals Head Start Policy Council, giving them a leadership role and voice in important decisions about program spending, classroom activities, and ways to work with community partners.
- Our Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic conducts monthly client surveys and uses the feedback to inform services.
- Our Ambassador Committee comprises high-profile community leaders, including members of the military community, who share information with us about emerging needs, so that we can develop innovative programming to meet those needs.
