Simi Valley Hospital | Living Well | Winter 2015-2016

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| Living Well 3
SIMI VALLEY HOSPITAL’S Child Development Center
(CDC) is coming full-circle, in a sense, as it prepares to move
into its new facility on the hospital’s North Campus: It was
in the same location that the CDC started in 1979—but the
growth the program has experienced over the past 36 years
has been astounding.
•At its beginning, the CDC provided services for seven
children. Today, more than 700 children receive care each
week. Every month, an average of 60 new patients enter
the program.
•The first CDC staff roster had just four employees, who
provided services three mornings a week. Currently, more
than 50 employees offer a wide array of services from 8 a.m.
to 6 p.m. every weekday, along with special programs in the
evenings and other services outside of the facility.
•The space for the first facility comprised barely 500 square
feet. The new CDC has 15,000 square feet that, among other
features, contains two large gyms and three medium-sized
gyms so that various types of therapies with children of
different ages can happen without scheduling conflict.
“We’re so excited to be relocating into this beautiful,
updated facility,” said Robin Millar, director of adult/pediatric
therapies at Simi Valley Hospital and one of the founders of
the CDC. “It’s so open, with lots of sunlight and more space,
which allows for new opportunities for program development
for our families.”
The new building also comes with $25,000 worth of new
equipment, Millar added.
Services for
every need
Simi Valley Hospital’s Child
Development Center (CDC) has
a wide variety of options to meet
the needs of their young patients,
including individual and group
services. Individual therapy op-
tions for children include:
•Occupational therapy
•Physical therapy
•Speech-language therapy
•Early intervention (a program that
combines multiple therapies for
children ages birth to three years)
•Visits at home, school, the
park and community classes like
Gymboree or dance.
Group services for children
include:
•Social skills group, which teaches
children to interact successfully
with their peers.
•Speech groups, to facilitate
communication skills.
There are also two group classes
for parents. One, called the Hanen
Program, helps parents become
the primary language facilitator
for their children. The other, the
Twilight Infant/Parent Class (see
page 7), is designed to support
working parents of children ages
two and under with parenting skills.
For more information
about CDC services, go to
hover
over “Services” and click on “Child
Development Center.”
“Language is something we
don’t think about and take
for granted. But it really
has to be taught andlearned.
The Hanen course teaches
you an easy, straightforward,
effective way to teach
your children.”
Giving themwhat they need
From the start, the CDC has focused on a dynamic approach
to providing therapies for its young patients.
“This has been an ever-evolving program that expands to
meet the needs of our community with new technologies
and the best practices of programs from all over the country,”
Millar said. “We know there’s not just one way to approach
every child, so we refine and change what we do as new
approaches demonstrate successes for our children.”
That philosophy drives the development of programs and
services at the CDC. For instance, the center recently started
a program that uses particular equipment, exercises and
activities to help children with motor disorders gain skills and
confidence in movement.
Another program—an expansion of an existing therapy—will
help to encourage kids to be more independent in the activi-
ties of daily living. Among the options will be a group cooking
class that will help older children use kitchen tools, plan a
menu, make a tuna sandwich and so forth.
“As we reflect on this season of giving, those of us in Simi
Valley Hospital’s Child Development Center are so grateful for
36 years of support from our community, our physicians and
our wonderful CDC families we have the privilege of serving,”
Millar said. “Truly, we count it an honor and a blessing to be a
part of their lives.”
“Our occupational therapist is amazing! She is so patient and
thorough with my daughter. She explains what she is working
on and gives me tips to work with her at home.”