Together We Grow Times
Newsflash
KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg covers our weekend respite program. To hear the podcast or read the story, please click here.
Referrals
With the start of the new year, we have several openings at each of our centers for new children. If you have someone in mind you think could benefit from our services, please give us a call, send an email or contact us through our website.
Getting to Know Together We Grow: Jaylene Norton
Jaylene has been with Together We Grow for four years,
working out of our Oceanside site. The afterschool teacher in the
Pirate Room, Jaylene focuses on learning and basic skills with our
medically fragile children, concentrating on sharing and communicating
with others, as well as practical skills, like tying their
own shoes. Saying her aim is to provide constructive outlets for the
student’s curiosity, Jaylene keeps the children occupied with sensory
stimulation, music, games and storytelling. Jaylene likes working
in a place where typical and medically fragile children can go and
interact with each other, while giving the parents some muchneeded
time to themselves. She cites seeing the children develop,
grow and show progress in different areas as the most rewarding
part of her job, saying, “I like seeing the children express their
different personalities, behaviors and emotions. It takes a while for
the children to begin to trust someone other than their parents or
guardians; it is rewarding when I see the children look to me for
guidance and direction.”
What Qualifies a Medically Fragile Child at Our Centers
If a child requires any of the following services, he or she may qualify as a medically fragile child in our program:
- Medication administration including oral, enteral or inhalation (including nebulizer treatment)
- Skilled nursing assessment
- Seizure disorder treatment
- Respiratory treatment, which may include oxygen administration or suctioning
- Tracheostomy care and suctioning
- Enteral nutrition
- Seizure disorder monitoring
- Insulin management
Children with any of the above conditions may qualify for funding from Medi-Cal, Regional Center and/or the military. If you are still uncertain if a child’s specific needs will qualify him or her, our friendly case managers are on hand to assist you.
Custom Hot Cocoa
On those chilly winter nights, nothing hits the spot better than some steaming hot cocoa. This mix can be altered to meet individual preferences. The basic ingredients are below. Add crushed toffee, peppermint, flavored powdered creamers or a secret ingredient of your choosing to make it special.
Ingredients
- 2 c nonfat dry milk powder
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 c mini semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 c powdered nondairy creamer
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended. Store the mix in a tightly covered container at room temperature until you’re ready to package it. Makes about 4 cups of mix.
Did You Know?
Together We Grow has over 17 years of successful Pediatric Day Health Care, serving beneficiaries for approximately 1.5 million hours of services to children ages 0 – 21 years in San Diego County without a single malpractice lawsuit or negative outcome.
Our Shining Star: Maya
A part of our family, Maya has been at Together We Grow for
nearly 14 years. She started with us when she was only 16-monthsold,
back when Together We Grow was known as The SpecialCare
Center. Maya is now 15 and about half way through her freshman
year at Lincoln High. When Maya was a baby, her mom, Judith
realized she would need specialized, nursing level care for her
daughter. A single working mom, Judith took the recommendation
of Maya’s pediatrician, Dr. Pickering, and enrolled her at Together
We Grow. Today, Maya participates in our afterschool program
and weekend respite. When asked her thoughts on Maya’s time at
Together We Grow, Judith had this to say:
“Together We Grow is so much more than just excellent nursing care. At the time [Maya started], I was working in a pre-school as a Child Development teacher, so I knew what quality day care should look, sound and feel like, and Together We Grow offered the best nursing care as well as wonderfully qualified teachers and loving staff. It is part of our extended family. It is what helps keep me working to provide for Maya and me. I rely on Together We Grow; it helps keep me sane. Maya has always liked to be in the very hubbub of activity. I think Maya enjoys all the sights and sounds of a busy and bubbling day-care and the interaction with the adults and children. Someone there must be telling Maya jokes because I always see her smiling and laughing. It is plain to see how comfortable she is there. I have always thought that the smile God gave Maya makes up for much of what Maya is not able to do. When Maya smiles, it is like a window in heaven has opened, through which a blessing is poured out for me. I appreciate all that the Together We Grow family has done that has been a part of what keeps Maya smiling. God bless every one there.”
We Provide Infant Care
We offer inclusive nursing child care for medically fragile and typical children, starting as early as 6 weeks. We are an Early Start provider and integrate individual plans with the class’s curriculum. Our infants are in classrooms with state-of-the-art technology and sensory stimulation to help all our children learn and develop.
Staffed by skilled nurses and early education teachers, all attending infants benefit. The nursing staff is on hand to meet all health-related needs. The teachers are knowledgeable in what activities are appropriate for the various ages, contributing to the progress of each child. We teach sign language related to infant development and language skills, which gives the children the ability to clearly communicate their needs early on. This relieves frustration for both the caregiver and the child, which often leads to calmer, happier babies
Medically fragile infants are eligible to participate in our overnight weekend program. We have a special area designated for these children and our skilled nursing staff is rotated so someone is awake and supervising 24 hours a day.
New Days for Medically Fragile Weekend
2009 holds many fun and exciting activities for our weekends. We look forward to seeing all our special friends this year and adding some new ones. Our Medically Fragile Weekend Program is designed to give parents a break and some adult time, while their children can interact with their friends and get the care they need in a safe and nurturing environment. This program is designed for medically fragile children ages 6 weeks to 21 years. Weekend dates can be found on the website. If you know of a family that might benefit from this program, please do not hesitate to contact us.
5055 Viewridge Avenue |
3815 Mission Avenue, Suite 107 Oceanside, CA 92058 |
