Visiting places like zoos, amusement parks, pumpkin patches, and museums are a rite of passage for most children. However, if a young child has a disability or developmental delay, outings like this can be very stressful for both children and their families. Luckily here in Pennsylvania, children ages birth to five who have developmental delays or disabilities are eligible to receive early intervention services and therapies, and here in Greene County, the STARS foundation helps expose children in early intervention to these experiences while providing support for both the children and their families.
The STARS Foundation is headquartered in Carmichaels and was established in 2017. The foundation grew from the organization STARS, or Specialized Therapy and Related Services. Kristie Pekanbaru-Rohrer and Valerie Kerr-Lapana founded STARS with the mission to work alongside families to empower them with the skills necessary to optimize their child’s development. They offer a wide range of early intervention services including behavior support, developmental therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and vision and nutrition services.
Children in Pennsylvania ages birth to five who have special needs due to developmental delays or disabilities are eligible to receive these Early Intervention services and therapies at no cost to the families. Early Intervention is a federally funded program and state supported service that enhances a family’s capacity to meet the developmental needs of their child in a setting that is personal and important to the child and family. Therapists meet with children in their own homes, in schools, or wherever they can organically work on the skills the child needs to strengthen.
Kristie and Valerie established the STARS foundation as a way to offer more activities and experiences for the children they service. They use funds from the foundation to host events at The Pittsburgh Zoo, Idlewild Park, The Children’s Museum, and many more engaging locations in our community. Through these experiences, children are able to experience a wider range of activities that will build on the foundation of their development. During these outings they work on a range of physical, cognitive, and social skills.
The pandemic has pushed the pause button on a lot of things in our lives and communities, including the opportunity for the STARS Foundation to provide these experiences. They were able to hold an outing to a pumpkin patch in October, but for the second time this year all outings are currently on hold. Like almost everything in 2020, the STARS foundation has gone virtual and is providing a variety of activities for families on their Facebook page, @STARSFoundationInc. Each week they share books, activities, and tips through videos aimed at helping families, in an effort to provide engaging activities while helping children’s development at home. As soon as it is safely possible, the STARS crew plans to resume their in-person activities and events.
