Special Kids Special Families - SKSF - Your Child with Disabilities is Special

The name “Special Kids Special Families” is really the brand of this unique nonprofit organization that began in 1998. Its mission statement is: “To promote, strengthen, and support individuals with disabilities and their families.”

SKSF was started by two mothers of children with special needs looking for help caring for their children, who saw a missing piece in our community. Many single parents had no help to care for their children with disabilities. With limited family support, these parents literally had no choice but to place the children whom they loved very much into foster care. The two moms started Zach’s Place and Special Kids Special Families in response to this problem.

Zach’s Place is a respite center that serves people from 2 to 21 who have various disabilities. Their child-to-staffing ratio is low, or no more than 3:1. “Respite care provides parents and other caregivers with short-term child care services that offer temporary relief, improve family stability, and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect. Respite can be planned or offered during emergencies or times of crisis.”¹

The caregiver may really need a break, as some parents are with their child with special needs all the time. It can really help to know relief is scheduled soon.

SKSF points out that respite care is not just for caregivers to take a break. Zach’s Place is a home-like setting that is a lot of fun for the kids—such as the child and teen fun night once a month. With socialization skills included in day-to-day teaching, it includes both structure and free play. Many of the children attend during the summer months, or after school. Zach’s Place offers transportation. It also has a sliding scale for fees and is flexible with scheduling. It will help parents find funding through various sources.

SKSF also supports families in El Paso County by running a child placement agency. Most of the cases that it sees are in a crisis situation and need immediate help. Many children with disabilities may be in and out of homes over time for various unfortunate situations. The SKSF program is unique, as it supports its home families with training as well as successful planning when initially placing a child, to achieve as stable an environment as possible.

Some of the children who are in foster care are children with special needs. Disabilities often create a tough family situation. If you have a heart for children and would like more information on becoming a therapeutic foster family, please contact SKSF.

Recently, SKSF started partnering with the Arc of the Pikes Peak Region to host sib-shop, a workshop for siblings of children with disabilities. This unique program has been so successful that it is becoming an international model for other programs. Although this is not a therapy program, SKSF reports that there are still therapeutic results, as the siblings can relate to one another while having fun.

Finally, to raise community awareness, SKSF presents the Koscove Kids! They are a wonderful bunch of life-sized puppets with special needs that travel around to schools and other functions in our community to promote that “we all feel the same,” and “we should all be friends.” Think of having the Koscove Kids at your next function!

If any of the unique assistance offered through Special Kids Special Families sounds like it may help your family, reach out to its caring staff. Their hearts drive SKSF’s mission. Special Kids Special Families may be able to help you do what is best for your child with special needs.

¹https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/service_array/respite/

Special Kids Special Families
424 W. Pikes Peak Colorado Springs, Colorado 80905
Phone: 719-447-8983
Fax: 719-447-9482 ZACH'S PLACEA House Filled with Love741 Cache La PoudreColorado Springs, CO 80903Phone: (719) 329-1717