Children need to grow in surroundings that make them feel comfortable – Homes for children
Placing her daughter in a group home in 1995 was painful and a difficult decision, but Lori Rende does not regret her choice and has helped other parents along the way. The decision was not an easy one. As a parent of a child with special needs, Lori learned first hand about the rocky road her daughter Jacqueline faced. Jacqueline was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and at about 18 months old started to receive service coordination services. She had many behavioral issues, and Jacqueline did not cope well with other people in her house. A pediatrician recommended to Lori that Jacqueline needed a stable environment.
Over the course of several years, Jacqueline had lived in temporary placements, none specializing in caring for children. Jacqueline's strong willed mother advocated for her daughter with legislators and human service professionals to seek a permanent residence that could properly care for her daughter. "We saw a great need and realized that we had to make a change," remarks Chief Operating Officer Rhonda Frederick. "Children need to grow in surroundings that make them feel comfortable, so we listened to parents and our program development team embarked on a new endeavor to create homes specifically for children." Currently at age 17, Jacqueline now lives at one of People Inc.'s newest group homes on Chippewa Court in West Seneca. As an advocate and mentor for other parents, Lori serves on the agency's Family Advisory Council. In addition, she talks to fellow parents about the benefits of placing a child in a group home. Lori will soon be working to help train direct care staff on how to work with parents and help them cope with their emotions and fears. Lori is grateful to the staff at Jacqueline's group home and said, “The staff are 100 percent committed to my daughter and making things better for her.”