Family to Family Mini Grant Recipients

CITY OF CHEYENNE AQUATICS DIVISION

The Cheyenne Aquatics Division facility provides families with fun aquatic activities. Programs offered include swim lessons, recreational pool time, use of a lap pool and a variety of fitness classes. 

The grant money will be used to offer a program to meet the unique needs of individuals on the autism spectrum who are at high risk of accidental death from drowning. The program will provide knowledge to families on how to approach water, as well as providing information to the participants. The goal is to get participants to a point where if they fell into the water they would be able to reach safety.

LIFE SKILLS COMMUNITY REHAB PROVIDER

Life Skills Wyoming is a Waiver service provider for Wyoming State Medicaid, serving individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities throughout Southwest Wyoming for over 20 years.

The mini-grant funding is being used to create a hydroponic garden that provides a natural habitat for a land tortoise. This will enhance services through year-round education about healthy eating, and the responsibility that comes with caring for an animal. The project goal is to relate to the needs of the individual through meeting the needs of animals and set healthy boundaries and teach healthy habits.

OLIVIA CALDWELL FOUNDATION

The Olivia Caldwell Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to funding life-saving pediatric cancer research and programs to improve the lives of children battling cancer and other serious diseases in Wyoming and surrounding areas.

Having found the most effective way for the organization to spread the word about the Foundation and Patient Advocacy Program is through connection, the funds are covering cost enhanced outreach and awareness activities.

WYOMING EARLY INTERVENTION INITIATIVE

The Wyoming Early Intervention Initiative (WEII) for Families with Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing started as a grassroots collaborative effort in 2020. This initiative was formed to promote collaborative efforts to increase Wyoming's capacity to provide quality early intervention services for families and their children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing from birth to kindergarten.

The WEII is using the mini-grant funding to increase early interventionists' capacity to understand and implement effective coaching principles when working with families with children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. The early interventionists then use these coaching principles to teach families as they integrate the identified best practices, strategies, and techniques within daily routines in their own homes and communities.

WYOMING HANDS AND VOICES

Wyoming Families for Hands & Voices (WYHV) is a parent-driven, non-profit organization that provides unbiased support to families of Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) children to assist them in reaching their fullest potential. The organization is part of a nation-wide Hands & Voices organization that started in Colorado in 1996.

This mini-grant will be used to help with communication and dissemination of information important to Wyoming families raising children who are D/HH. The goal of this project is to help Wyoming families continue to receive a Wyoming Newsletter in order to be informed about Wyoming news, events, policy, opportunities, and life pertaining to raising a child who is D/HH in Wyoming.

Wyoming Family to Family

If you are interested in future mini-grant opportunities or would like to collaborate with the Wyoming Family to Family Health Information Center, please contact wyof2f@uwyo.edu.

Wyoming Family to Family Health Information Center
Dept. 4298; 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-2646
Email: wyof2f@uwyo.edu

CITY OF CHEYENNE AQUATICS DIVISION

Specialized Swimming Lessons

The Cheyenne Aquatics Division facility provides families with fun aquatic activities. Programs offered include swim lessons, recreational pool time, use of a lap pool and a variety of fitness classes. 

The grant money received will be used to fund staff training and provide free access to specialized lessons. 
Specialized lessons will be developed for youth with cerebral palsy, hearing and vision impairments, down syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 

Developmental Assessment and Support Team

Supports for Children with Social-Emotional Support Needs

The grant money received will be used to fund training of clinicians in the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relationship Skills (PEERS) program. Once trained, clinicians and therapists will then be able to educate families in Wyoming. 

The PEERS program training offers social skills support for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other social-emotional support needs.

Go Baby Go

Increasing Mobility and Quality of Life Solutions

Go Baby Go is a program that provides modified ride-on-cars to young children with disabilities. The ride-on-car ensures that the user can move around independently. 

The grant money received will be used to fund the establishment of a Go Baby Go program for the state of Wyoming. In addition, ride-on-cars will be available for eight families. 

This program will be developed by the Child Development Center of Natrona County in Casper, Wyoming.

Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado and Wyoming

Making Schools and Public Places "Seizure Safe"

The Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado and Wyoming is leading the fight to overcome the challenges presented by living with epilepsy, as well as increasing the awareness and availability of therapies to stop seizures.

The grant money received will be used to fund additional outreach and travel for Seizure Recognition and First Aid in Wyoming. 

Jason's Friends Foundation

Support for Wyoming Families with Childhood Cancer Patients

Jason’s Friends Foundation assists Wyoming families whose children suffer from cancer, brain tumors or spinal cord tumors through financial assistance, advocacy and encouragement.

The grant money received will be used to fund expenses for two families to attend Camp Courage Wyoming, a weekend camp for childhood cancer patients, their parents, and siblings. 

Parent Information Center

Peer Support Program

The Parent Information Center of Wyoming helps families of children impacted by disabilities or special education needs (birth to 26) find their voice and advocate as equal partners with schools.

The grant money received will be used to fund a Peer Support Program.

Sweetwater County Juvenile Detention Center Therapy K-9 Program

Addressing Adolescent Mental Health Issues in Wyoming

The grant money received will be used to fund the launch of a K9-assisted therapy program for juvenile offenders in Sweetwater County. This program will be the first program of its nature in detention centers across the nation.

Acceptance & Abilities

Free Online Parenting Courses

Acceptance & Abilities, located in Sweetwater County, provides services and support to individuals and families through the Children’s Mental Health Waiver (High Fidelity Wraparound) and Wyoming Children’s Disability Waiver. The agency works with families with a wide variety of emotional, behavioral, and physical health challenges, while building and maintaining healthy relationships within their families and within their communities.

Acceptance & Abilities has used the F2F mini-grant to fund and offer unlimited access to online parenting courses through Foster Care College. Courses are available for all caregiver types and offer an evidence-based curriculum to help build skills to meet families’ individualized needs. Course topics include behavior management, ADHD, social and physical aggression in children with Autism, self-injury, and safety.

For more information or to gain free access to Foster Care College, contact Kyla Maestas at kylamaestas@
acceptanceandabilities.onmicrosoft.com.

Bodylines Dance Theatre

Adaptive Dance Program

Located in Cheyenne, Bodylines Dance Theatre develops strong, young individuals of all levels of abilities, including those with disabilities and delays, with artistic and technical skills in dance and performance, giving them the emotional and physical confidence they will need in life. The program also supports the Bodylines Dance Theatre Performing Group which holds community performances and is available at no charge to children with disabilities and delays.

F2F mini-grant funds will be used to support 10-12 children, a key instructor, two student assistants, and two Bodylines Dance Theatre students during a 30-week program.

Children's Law Center

Youth Justice Coalition

The Wyoming Children’s Law Center in Laramie provides local and statewide services at reduced cost or, for qualifying families, for free. Legal services include special education cases, guardianships, custody and visitation assistance. Family Tree services are available for parents in custody disputes and consist of mediation, parent education and supervised visits and exchanges.

The Youth Justice Coalition works within the community to build relationships and generate positive solutions to the problems facing youth who have been in contact with the criminal justice system.

Funds from the F2F mini-grants will be used to support a part-time employee who will assemble a coalition of parents and former youth impacted by Wyoming’s juvenile justice system. The coalition will advocate for juvenile justice and exclusionary school discipline reforms.

Child Development Center of Fremont County

Childhood Education and Intervention Services

Child Development Services of Fremont County provides early childhood education and intervention services for families with infants and preschool children with developmental disabilities and delays.

Fremont County understands that families needing specialized medical services can become expensive and might not be close to home. This F2F grant opportunity will assist approximately 25 families in Fremont County who are in need of specialized medical, therapeutic, or evaluation services by providing access to specialized assessments and/or diagnostic services. Costs for appropriate equipment, such as glasses, hearing aids, and assistive technology, as well as travel expenses to receive specialized appointments may be provided.

If you are in Fremont County and would like more information on these services, contact Kristin Davis at kdavis@cdsfc.org.

Child Development Center of Natrona County

Family Therapy Nights

The Child Development Center (CDC) of Natrona County early intervention program offers a myriad of services to support children birth to five with delays meet developmental milestones. Services include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, cognitive skill development, social and emotional development as well as family service coordination.

Funds from the F2F mini-grant will be used to host quarterly Family Therapy Nights as part of the Part C (birth to three) Family Engagement Project. Currently, the CDC is serving 147 Part C children/families and the family nights will allow them to come together, enjoy children’s activities, and converse with one another. Events will also include development stations for speech, occupational/physical therapies, and community resources.

Wyoming Family to Family Health Information Center

If you are interested in future mini-grant opportunities or would like to collaborate with the Wyoming Family to Family Health Information Center, please contact wyof2f@uwyo.edu.