A $12,500 grant from the James M. Doss Sr. Charitable Foundation will help the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) give teachers and families more ways to support young children receiving services through its Spot On program.
Spot On serves children with developmental delays in the child care centers they attend. Speech-language and occupational therapists work with children during the school day, then share what they learn with the adults who care for them. A therapist might show a teacher how to help a child take part in a classroom activity or give a director ideas to support the classroom teacher. While insurance may cover a child’s therapy sessions, it does not cover the therapists’ time working with teachers or preparing resources for families. The Doss Foundation grant will help fund that work.
“When a therapist finds something that helps a child, we want the people around that child to be able to use it, too,” said Darrell King, CEO of the ELC. “This grant gives our therapists time to share what they know with teachers and directors, who can put those ideas to work throughout the week.”
Spot On currently serves approximately 30 children across six Manatee County child care centers. Among children who completed the program in a recent reporting period, developmental assessments showed gains in communication, fine motor skills, problem-solving and personal-social development.
“We’re grateful that the foundation chose to support this part of Spot On,” King said. “It helps the people who know these children best respond to what each child needs.”
To learn more about Spot On, visit https://elc-manatee.org/SPOT-ON.
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About ELC of Manatee County
The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, Inc. is a multi-service agency dedicated to helping children develop skills that they will need to be successful in school and life. The agency’s focus is on high-quality school readiness opportunities for all children and their families, understanding that it is in the first years of life that a child’s future educational success is determined and the critical role of parents, as their child’s first and most important teacher. To learn more about Coalition’s services, go to www.elc-manatee.org or call 941-757-2900, extension 2100.
About the James M. Doss Sr. Charitable Foundation
Established after James M. Doss Sr.’s passing in 2016, the Bradenton-based foundation carries forward his legacy of charitable giving. It provides grants to organizations working in education, children’s health and human services, athletics, and faith-based service. For more information, visit jamesmdossfoundation.org.