Kay Richardson, EEIC director, reads a book with Whit before circle time begins In 1980, the staff at Epworth Children’s Home, responded to the parents of young children with developmental delays. It opened The Epworth Early Intervention Center (EEIC), the first private special needs preschool program in South Carolina. EEIC was created as a child development center where young children who have developmental delays and disabilities grow, learn, and make friends while teachers and parents work together to help the children develop to their fullest potential. Since its beginning, more than 260 children and their families have benefited from this program.

At the EEIC, children with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, sensory impairments, and undiagnosed developmental delays learn along side typically developing peers in a fun, play–based environment. Currently, 16 children are attending this specialized preschool program.

According to one parent, “The EEIC is the place that my son goes to learn and be challenged, where he is taught that minimum requirements are not enough, that he will do more, that he will be more … We were encouraged to understand that our child is unique and that every day will be different with him. His teachers helped us to relax, calmed our fears, and made the abnormal very normal.”

The reality for many young children who have developmental delays/disabilities is they spend much of their time in physicians’ or therapists’ offices and not in fun, play activities with other children. At the EEIC, parents get to see their children learn while participating in typical activities with friends and under the guidance of specially trained, skilled and caring teachers.

Kay Richardson, the director of the Epworth Early Intervention Center, has been with the organization since its founding. She believes that families of children who have disabilities should have choices in the services their children receive including their earliest educational programs. She enjoys her relationships with these children and their families and values the opportunity she has had to follow many of her former students into adulthood.

Sandy Ryals, the head teacher for the program shares, “Epworth Early Intervention Center is a wonderful place where children are provided the opportunity to play, learn, and make friends. It is so rewarding to watch our children as they grow and get to experience all the things their peers are doing. We have great families too and have the priviledge of encouraging and supporting them. I am truly grateful that people are seeing the need for such a preschool as ours and to continue helping children.”

As with many non–profit organizations, Epworth Children’s Home has had to make some difficult decisions in the past couple of years to assure funding for their core mission of providing residential services for children from broken family systems. This resulted in closing some of its programs and removing the EEIC from the agency budget. Though Epworth still provides facilities and some other support services, the EEIC must now raise their own operating expenses in order to continue. The annual budget for the EEIC is $90,000 .

Columbia physician, A. McKay Brabham shares, “My late father (The Rev. A. McKay Brabham Jr.) was instrumental in working with Epworth to open the EEIC after hearing from us how helpful early intervention services had been for our daughter when we lived in Virginia. Our daughter, Margaret, has down syndrome and has worked as an aide at the EEIC for the past 14 years. We have known many families who have benefited greatly from the services available at the EEIC. There is an increasing need for the program at a time when state budget cuts are eliminating or limiting services to young children.”

With support from families, friends, civic organizations, private foundations, businesses and churches, the EEIC has raised the funds needed to operate through July 2011. Richardson states they are very grateful for the support they have received and hopes people will continue to help keep this program open. She also noted that BlueCross Blue Shield of SC is partnering with the EEIC to help encourage donations from area corporations and businesses. BCBS has agreed to match any business contributions through -out this year up to $50,000. Richardson said, “This is a huge opportunity for us and for any local business to have their donation to us doubled.”

For more information about the Epworth Early Intervention Center, visit www.epwortheic.org.