Consolidated Organization Will Better Serve 20,000+ in Atlanta Metro Alone
In the spirit of providing more comprehensive services to families with children who have special needs, Families of Children Under Stress, Inc. (FOCUS) and the Fragile Kids Foundation officially merged today. Through the merger, they fold two organizations into one to focus on a single mission – offering critical services to families with children who are medically fragile or have developmental disabilities. Before the merger, FOCUS reached 4,500 children annually, while Fragile Kids reached 500. Together, they will now offer services to more than 20,000 family members and plan to grow to reach even more. In Atlanta, according to the 2013 U.S. census data, there are nearly 100,000 children 18 years of age and younger with disabilities in the 14 congressional districts that make up Metro Atlanta.
“Parents are so overwhelmed when a child is diagnosed with a lifelong disability that making just one more phone call is daunting,” said Lucy Cusick, executive director, FOCUS. “By merging our two organizations under one roof, we hope to make life just a little easier. It allows us to offer families wrap-around services as well as more streamlined communication and overall, less overhead, allowing more dollars to go to the children and families we serve.”
As FOCUS + Fragile Kids, the organization will now offer parents a variety of support, from comfort through support groups and hospital visits; information through workshops and conferences; and fun recreational programs that are accepting and wheelchair accessible, to helping parents find and fund the medical equipment that gives children mobility, safety, and independence. Equipment includes wheelchair lifts, stair lifts, ceiling lifts, and ramps for homes and vans, specialized car seats, toileting and bathing systems, standers, and pediatric strollers.
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FOCUS/Fragile Kids Foundation Merger/2
“FOCUS and Fragile Kids have always had a complementary, not competitive, relationship to serve families who have children with special needs, which is why this merger makes so much sense,” said Jill Gossett, former interim executive director, Fragile Kids Foundation.
FOCUS + Fragile Kids exists to create safer, healthier lives for Georgia children living with a wide range of diagnoses, including, but not limited to: cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, mitochondrial disease, and Rett syndrome. Families being served by either or both organizations, may now reach out to FOCUS + Fragile Kids by calling (770) 234-9111 or going to www.focus-ga.org. Donations can be made here and are always welcome. Ninety cents of every dollar goes directly to services and equipment for the children.
ABOUT FOCUS + Fragile Kids
FOCUS + Fragile Kids understands and supports the unique needs of families with children who are medically fragile or have significant developmental or physical disabilities. FOCUS + Fragile Kids offers comfort, hope, and information to parents; prescribed but unaffordable medical equipment not covered by insurance or Medicaid; accessible recreational and social programs for children and teens; and fun, inclusive activities for the entire family. A non-profit founded by parents in 1983, FOCUS + Fragile Kids continues to embrace and strengthen Georgia families. To learn more about FOCUS + Fragile Kids, click here.
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