Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation Funds New Playground for USM鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Center
Wed, 01/20/2021 - 01:48pm | By: Courtney Tesh
The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has awarded a grant of $323,540
to The Children鈥檚 Center for Communication and Development at The University of 51逗奶
Miss through the USM Foundation. The funds will be used to build a new playground
on USM鈥檚 Gulf Park campus.
Once finished, the playground will serve as a much-needed outdoor therapy space for the children with complex disabilities who receive cost-free services from The Children鈥檚 Center, and as an inclusive play space for children in the Gulf Coast region both with and without developmental disabilities.
Currently, the Center鈥檚 Gulf Park location provides a wide range of therapies, including Listening and Spoken Language Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Audiology, and Behavioral Therapy, for 40 children in the southern six counties of the state, all at no cost to their families. Through this grant, the Center will be able to expand the scope of these therapies through fully accessible outdoor play, using carefully chosen equipment and therapy tools that encourage motor and speech development, as well as social interaction with peers.
鈥淭he impact this new therapy playground will have on our families, as well as on families in the region, is hard to quantify,鈥� said Sarah Myers, Director of The Children鈥檚 Center. 鈥淔or our little ones, this is much more than a playground. We know, and research has shown, that play is therapy. This wheelchair and walker-accessible space has been designed with that in mind.
Added Myers: 鈥淥ne of our biggest goals at the Center is to tailor our therapy plan for each child, addressing all areas of their development, and preparing them for that day they transition to their local school district. Without a doubt, the existence of this new playground will better allow us to do just that. It wouldn鈥檛 be possible without the generosity of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation. We are so grateful for their partnership.鈥�
Center students and families are understandably excited about the new space. 鈥淢y son,
Justus, would love the opportunity to play on the new playground, as learning through
play is his favorite,鈥� said Children鈥檚 Center parent, Amy DeFazio. 鈥淗e has recently
been exposed to monkey bars at a local playground and looks forward to figuring out
how to adapt and overcome using his 鈥榣ucky fin.鈥� 鈥淚 know, as a mom, a playground is
a safe place for him to wrestle through challenges while still having fun.鈥�
The Children鈥檚 Center also plans to host play opportunities for children and families within the community, helping promote inclusion, and expanding the impact of this new space to include other families in the Gulf Coast region.
鈥淭he Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is proud to partner with The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi Foundation to improve the overall health of students at The Children鈥檚 Center through fun and interactive therapeutic play, said Sheila B. Grogan, Foundation President. 鈥淎chieving healthy milestones throughout life is the Foundation鈥檚 goal for every child.鈥�