Doors open for underserved youth

Serghino René

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), a new center formed through a partnership between Children’s Hospital Boston and UMass Boston, recently announced a pilot intervention program for underserved children with disabilities and special health care needs.

The National Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs was formed to respond to three areas of transition to adulthood: access to community recreational activities, screening and early identification.

“As a higher educational institution committed to the academic and professional development of a diverse student body, we have a track record of success in educating young adults with disabilities that we believe can serve as a national model,” says Michael F. Collins, M.D., UMass Boston’s chancellor. “We look forward to being able to expand on these efforts and develop best practices.”

The five-year plan is a beacon of hope for many families with disabled children and provides a window of opportunity for children with special health care needs and disabilities.

This is news to Elizabeth Bostic of Reading. She is a mother of two — a 14-year-old daughter named Maritza and James, her 6-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy. Due to the longer lifespans of youths with special needs, the Bostics and several other families are experiencing issues they never expected.

“The child isn’t the only person who’s different,” Bostic said. “The family is different too.”

The $4 million grant will fund a collaboration among families, community-based organizations, disability organizations, recreational centers, schools, clinics and community health centers to better connect families to services.

“Our core mandate is to provide the best possible care for all children,” says James Mandell, M.D., president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Boston. “Since medical technology has improved and enhanced the possibilities for children with disabilities, we must provide every child in every neighborhood the support they need to transition to adulthood.”

National estimates show that at least 13 percent of children in the United States have or are at risk for physical, developmental or emotional conditions that require higher levels of service. Studies have determined that children who live in poverty are at even higher risk for the development of these disabilities because health factors found in low-income areas, such as malnutrition, anemia, physical and mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence, frequently contribute to the development of disabilities.

“Boston will benefit from an infusion of resources and support to help these children to grow into and thrive in adulthood,” says Judith Palfrey, M.D., chief of General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston and the principal investigator for the study. “The ultimate goal is to develop a successful program that could be replicated across the country.”