06/02/11 Ten Years Caring for Babies and Toddlers/Early Intervention Celebrates Anniversary   “I remember we had a staff of 5 and only a hundred referrals in our first year,” said Family Service of RI’s Early Intervention clinical director Jennifer Kaufman. “Now we serve 350 families every year and have grown to a staff of 30 professionals.” Jennifer Kaufman was there at the beginning: one of the first hired a decade ago when Family Service of RI, a statewide human service non-profit, became a state-certified Early Intervention (EI) provider.  She started out at what might be considered an entry-level position known as “service coordinator/educator.” Over the years she rose through the ranks, and earned her master’s in education in early childhood administration and leadership from Johnson & Wales University. Today she leads the EI team along with administrative director and occupational therapist Heather Brennan, who has been with the team nine years.  “We’re fortunate to have the long-term experience and leadership of Heather and Jennifer,” said Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO of Family Service of RI.                                                                                                                                                                           Jennifer Kaufman                Family Service of RI this year is celebrating its Early Intervention program’s 10th anniversary.  “EI was quite a change for us 10 years ago, because we traditionally focused on mental health-related issues,” said Ms. Holland McDuff.  “But we found that to truly help families we needed expertise in challenges for very young children.”  So the agency sought and received state-certification to create an Early Intervention program, which today is based at the Family Service of RI office at 134 Thurbers Avenue in the South Providence neighborhood. Early Intervention helps children, birth to age three, with or at risk of developmental delays. EI is staffed by a variety of providers including physical therapists, speech/language therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, educators, social workers and nutritionists.  “A unique aspect and challenge is to find providers willing to work in families’ homes.  When you provide services directly in a child’s natural environment, you really get to know the child, better understand the family’s concerns, and therefore provide an intervention that truly supports the child and his or her family,” said Ms. Kaufman.           When a family’s issues go beyond EI-related services, the team turns to a wide range of services within Family Service of RI, including homelessness prevention, mental health treatment, child trauma treatment, and even HIV/AIDS services. “Our goal ten years ago when we became an EI provider was to link the knowledge, the professions, the expertise so families, no matter the issue, may be helped without having to work with multiple providers,” said Ms. Holland McDuff. Ms. Kaufman and Ms. Brennan have enjoyed working at Family Service of RI, particularly because the agency has a culture that fosters innovation.  “When dealing with children and families you always have to be prepared to look at new approaches, new ways of helping,” said Ms. Kaufman. “Each child, each family is unique.” (END)