As 19-year-old Kelsey walks across her college campus, she greets friends and classmates. People know her as a dedicated student and a kind person. What they don’t know is that sheer determination got her here … or how much she endured in the child welfare system. Kelsey’s strong inner motivation and the valuable mental health…
Elizabeth was in Nebraska for work when she got the call. “We have a baby in the hospital,” said Monica, a Wayfinder social worker. “Can you pick her up tonight?” This was the moment Elizabeth and her husband, Bryan, had longed for. They were going to become parents. After struggling with fertility, they decided to…
Stacey Montoya had just started her new job as a teacher at Wayfinder’s Special Education School when COVID-19 forced the school to transition rapidly to online education. “A lot of us were in such denial,” Stacey remembers. “We thought that the pandemic wasn’t going to be very long.” “All teachers were flying by the seat…
Mayra and Pedro’s twin babies, José and María, were born prematurely at only 27 weeks. In their birth country, the twins received medical treatment that left them blind. Mayra and Pedro wanted so much for their children. But without vision, how could the twins become independent? “I did not have any idea what I was…
The four children had been through an unimaginable trauma. They arrived at Wayfinder’s Cottage late at night, after their stepmother committed a violent crime in the home. The older children were disoriented and fearful. The 1-year- old baby, Anna, cried incessantly. In The Cottage, they found a welcoming, safe haven. The oldest, 14-year-old Tisha, was…
We Increase Access To Educational Success Our statewide EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM provides early intervention services for children with vision loss and multiple disabilities, from birth to age 6. Young children maximize any vision they have and reduce developmental delays. The program empowers parents with knowledge and advocacy skills. The program is continuing telehealth sessions as…
Why is Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) a priority at Wayfinder and a pillar in the current strategic plan? Wayfinder added “accessibility” to what most organizations refer to as DEI to maintain our longtime focus on offering opportunity to people with disabilities. When Wayfinder’s work expanded to incorporate mental health, adoption and child welfare,…
How is Wayfinder doing in the ongoing pandemic? Who would have guessed that we would still be in the throes of the pandemic a year-and-a-half later! The pandemic has caused so much grief and pain in our society and to our clients and staff. It has been a time of loss. Through it all, Wayfinder…
