100 years of helping children with special needs succeed in today’s world.
A Statement from the CEO
To Our DIC Family,
The last few months have been the toughest that many of us have had to experience in our lives. First with the COVID crisis, and now the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks, among others. These recent incidents have been heartbreaking and concerning to us all.
Our staff, administration, and Board have taken these last few weeks to reflect on these painful events and to have conversations about furthering the DIC’s role in addressing systemic discrimination and racism in our community. Our vision is to build a future of racial justice and equity for all of our children served by creating a culture and team that fully embraces and reflects these values.
We know that our children, families, and partners count on us to always do better. We vow to continue listening and doing our part to be informed, inclusive, and deliberate as we advocate for our children. We know that this will take ongoing work along with a genuine willingness and commitment to learning. We will strive to create racially just and equitable educational programs and policies that ensure all our children and families thrive.
As Rosa Parks said, “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.”
Sincerely,
Roxanne Brinkerhoff
Chief Executive Officer
Important COVID-19 Update
Dear Friends,
Let me begin by saying I am very mindful of the worrisome situation being faced by all of us as a result of the coronavirus threat. These are not easy times for anyone, and the Board and staff of the Detroit Institute for Children (DIC) sincerely hope for the safety and well-being of you and yours.
As described in a recent Detroit Free Press article (“What shuttered schools mean for students with disabilities in Michigan,” April 8, 2020), the necessary closing of our schools has particularly impacted the children with special needs we serve, children who receive speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy up to three times a week during the school year.
In response, our team of practitioners has been busy building a program of “teletherapy” to bring much-needed services to children where they live. We hope to soon make available many of the therapeutic services normally provided not only to students attending the schools we serve, but to the general public as well.
We are also continuing to plan our annual SLIDE (Summer Learning Individualized Learning Experiences) program, which this year will not only address “summer” learning loss with children having special needs, but also help make up for valuable school-time lost during April-May-June!
While we all continue to adjust to ongoing changes in our lives as a result of COVID-19, here are some steps you can take at home to address your child’s concerns:
- Correct misinformation for them.
- Focus on what kids can do to keep themselves healthy.
- Manage your own catastrophic thinking.
- Don’t dismiss their fears. Acknowledge that fear is healthy, and help them manage it appropriately.
- Preview anticipated changes or disruptions that may happen (like the school closures).
For 100 years, the Detroit Institute for Children has focused on providing compassionate, expert care to children with special needs while concentrating on treating the whole child, not just the disability. And while there are many uncertainties as we make plans for the weeks and months ahead, please know that your Detroit Institute for Children remains dedicated to realizing our vision: Children with special needs and their families are all thriving members of the community.
Please be safe and stay well!
Sincerely yours,
Roxanne Brinkerhoff
Chief Executive Officer
P.S. If you would like to learn more and support our work during this critical time, please click here.
We Are What Special Needs
We are driven, as part of our core values, to develop relationships and to work with other community-based organizations who share in our mission to provide children with special needs and their families with the support and care they need to become thriving members of our communities.
Our staff professionals are special education trained, IEP proficient, licensed in the State of Michigan, and provide continuity of care, with one of the highest retention rates in the industry.
We are a non-profit organization with almost 100 years of dedicated service to children with special needs and their families.
A century of providing services to children with special needs and their families
80+ dedicated professionals providing services, resources and support to children with special needs and their families.
Currently, the agency serves children with special needs in over 180 schools, Head Start, and Early Intervention programs throughout Detroit, Southeast Michigan and the Grand Rapids area.
Hours of services provided to children annually.
Stay up to date with DIC events, programs and services by subscribing to our newsletter.
Contact Info
2075 E. West Maple
Suite B-203
Walled Lake, MI 48390
248.926.0909
The Detroit Institute for Children currently serves more than 5,000 children with special needs in schools, Head Start, and Early Intervention programs throughout Detroit and Southeastern Michigan. The DIC provides speech language pathology, occupational therapies, social work, psychological services and special education consulting.
The Detroit Institute for Children is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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