Family Support Services

Family Support Services are designed to help children with special needs grow and flourish with the goal toward helping the family care for their child at home in a warm, loving environment.

“I truly believe that your caring, loving and nurturing attention to my needs and to the needs of my family goes well beyond the accepted norm of chesed. For you to feel and anticipate the needs and the struggles that we all face with our children on many different levels is a complete mystery to me…”

Crisis Hotline

Yedei Chesed’s 24-hour emergency hotline is available 365 days a year to families in need. Upon the birth of a child with a disability, parents are confronted with many difficult decisions. An experienced counselor plays the important role of calming parents’ fears and patiently helping them to review their options. Families who have experienced similar challenges are occasionally contacted to offer support and advice to other parents who have requested support.

“Words cannot truly express the tremendous Hakoras Hatov we feel for the time, and energy Yedei Chesed has invested to help us through this difficult period.”

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Information and Referral

Experienced advisors refer families to the appropriate medical, legal, social and vocational services. Additionally, information about financial aid, respite services, residential placements, and other programs are provided.

“In the beginning, I was confused and didn’t know what to do, but Yedei Chesed was always there for me. They provided me with information of what help is out there and where to go to get that assistance.”

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Spirit! Magazine

Spirit! Magazine is a quarterly publication exploring family issues and developmental disabilities. Our goal is for it to be a source of chizuk, inspiration, and education. Through its pages we hope to create and foster a sense of community between families who, though separated by distance, share common experiences. Strengthening this ability of parents to effectively reach out and network with other families facing the same challenges fills a void which has been overlooked for too long. We also expect that the articles and stories published in Spirit! will contribute to opening the doors to further acceptance of individuals with developmental disabilities in the Jewish community.

For more information on Spirit! Magazine, visit the Spirit! Magazine Website at www.spiritmag.org.

“Spirit! Magazine is the answer to our dreams! The high quality literary material and excellent source of information provided in a kosher setting makes this an unbelievable accomplishment!”

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Counseling and Support Groups

Yedei Chesed provides counseling to individuals with developmental disabilities and to their family members. We also have several support groups meeting each month. The following is a list of our support groups:

• general mothers’ support group
• support group for mothers of children with a diagnosis along the autistic spectrum
• fathers’ support group
• a male sibling support group and
• various girls sibling support groups (grouped according to age).

Facilitators are usually parents or professionals in various fields, discussing issues pertaining to raising and caring for a child/adult with a developmental disability.

“Yedei Chesed makes me feel that there are people out there who really care!”

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Family Reimbursement Fund

This fund provides financial assistance to people who are confronted with the challenge of caring for a person with a disability. The funds are designed to serve each family and their unique needs. Monies are available for medical equipment, recreation, respite care, as well as other expenses incurred.

Our community Inclusion fund, which is a part of the family reimbursement fund, is used to promote and facilitate mainstreaming opportunities between children with disabilities and their peers within the community.

“There are no words to describe the amount of joy and happiness your gift brought to our son’s life. It actually opened up a new world for him. Being able to help himself without the assistance of others makes him feel great!”

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Overnight Camp Respite Fund

The Overnight Camp Fund helps offset some of the fees involved in sending children with developmental disabilities to an overnight summer camp. A camp atmosphere is a place where a child's potential is given the ability to grow in a comfortable setting with his or her peers. It also provides much needed respite for parents who are the primary caregivers for a disabled child throughout the year.

“Thank you so much for your commitment for funds for my son’s summer camp. It was truly a very positive experience for him. He has learned to be more independent and to interact with his peers.”

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Emergency Respite Fund

Emergency Respite fund provides respite for a primary caregiver of an infant from birth to three years of age, with critical medical or health needs, requiring constant care and supervision. The types of services that funding will be provided for include childcare, skilled respite and/or a homemaker to help the primary caregivers in their ongoing struggle to maintain balance in the home.

“With heartfelt gratitude, we take this opportunity to express our thanks to you, for your financial assistance. It truly helped lighten our load while caring for our child with developmental delays.”

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The Resource Center in memory of Mrs. Miriam Schlisselfeld

The Resource Center is available to parents, caregivers, professionals and educators. The Resource Center maintains a growing collection of books, tapes and videos on many different topics pertaining to developmental disabilities and pediatric illness. In addition, high speed Internet access is available for families seeking information via the World-Wide Web.

For more information or to arrange a visit contact: The Resource Center, in memory of Mrs. Miriam Schlisselfeld, 48 Scottland Hill Rd, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977, (845) 425-0887 ext. 0.

“Asperger’s syndrome, Down Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Fragile X, Spina Bifida… Medical terminology I’ve never heard and do not understand. Where do I go to get the information and explanation of this new language I must learn? Yedei Chesed’s Resource Center helped me find the answers to the above questions.”

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