Ten years ago Jacqueline Tisher took some time off from work in neonatal intensive care to help another family who had children with complex medical needs. She hadn’t planned anything more than one year then return to work. She’s now head of Hope’s Home, located in in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert with an $8-million budget that looks after children with complex medical needs.
Hope’s Home is Canada’s first medically integrated day care, according to Kelsey Stewart, Fund Development and Marketing Manager. It moved into the former John Paul II Centre April 1. The organization leases the lower and main floors not including what used to be the chapel. The upper floor remains empty and the Nicor group who purchased the building from the Archdiocese of Regina has them open for lease.
The Prince Albert location has a 90-space day care and a four bed supportive living home. Saskatoon has a five bed supportive living space, will soon add five respite beds but no day care. “We’ve grown very fast,” said Stewart, “because the need is so big. There is no other community support for those families, who have children with complex medical needs, like Hope’s Home.”
Tisher convinced governments and others it saves taxpayers money when you provide quality care for these children at home. “At first they said I was crazy, but I’m very persistent and I believe in it. I believe when you have a passion in your heart and you recognize the need you can speak very clearly and advocate for the families that need that type of support.”
Eight children, wards of the state, were re-located from two rented homes to a building owned by Hope’s Home in a supportive living environment. The rest of the operations moved into JP II. It contains the provincial office and has an 80-space integrated day care, “Thirty per cent of our children have complex medical needs and the other 70 per cent are typically developing children or have development or behaviour needs. It’s integrated so children with complex medical needs and their siblings can attend the same day care,” said Stewart.
Nine staff work in the provincial office and 16 “floor staff” including two nurses are on duty full time every day and a nurse who “floats around the rooms” said Stewart.
The ministries of Social Services and Education as well as the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region provide about 90% of the funding and the remainder, about $800,000.00, is raised through donations and fund raising projects each year. Tisher said Hope’s Home was not affected by this year’s provincial budget cuts. “No. Not at all. They fund for children. They care for children.”
Tisher lost an 18-year-old daughter who was born with Spina Bifida. “Being her mom and raising her gives me a personal connection with the parents here,” said Tisher. Hope’s Home is named after a foster daughter, also with Spina Bifida who lived 10 months entirely in hospital. “She’s the inspiration of why we started Hope’s Home recognizing that many families don’t have the support they need to raise a child with complex medical needs.” Tisher said Hope’s Homes just grew. “We had eight children coming every day including my own children in my little house in the north end. This wasn’t my plan, it’s obviously God’s plan and it’s pretty big.”
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