The Hope Institute Blog
It’s a busy time of the year!
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on February 22, 2010
We are heading into our busiest time of the year at The Hope Institute for Children and Families. We just finished partnering with HBO on the Chicago premiere of the new motion picture on the life of autism icon Temple Grandin. The legislative session is once again upon us, and there is much uncertainty about how the state’s fiscal crisis may impact our programs. On the positive side, we are looking forward to our annual Style of Hope fashion show, which will be held in Springfield on March 11th, and the Chicago Night of Hope, which will be held on April 17th.
Here on campus, students are planning looking forward to the annual Easter Basket run by our friends from ABATE. Plans are underway for Prom (a Hope tradition) and, shortly thereafter, graduation.
None of this would be possible without your generous support. We appreciate the generous donations we receive from across the nation. Won’t you consider a Gift of Hope? It’s easier than ever — just click the “Donate Now” button on your browser.
Looking back… looking forward
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on December 30, 2009
As we come to the end of 2009 and look forward into 2010, I am reminded again that the progress we make is dependent upon our loyal and dedicated supporters.
All in all, 2009 was a good year. We weathered the fiscal storms that plagued the State of Illinois and preserved critical services. Our operations in Springfield continued to grow, and we opened a new public general education contract school in Chicago. The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) was one of the sponsors of the national town hall meeting, Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA), and we opened a new dental clinic at Noll Medical Pavilion.
None of this would have been possible without each of you. On behalf of Hope’s 567 employees and the 26,000 children and families we serve each year, please accept my thanks.
Looking forward, 2010 also holds the promise of great developments at Hope. We recently completed an agreement with the Illinois Department of Human Services that will transform the way we provide residential services for children. While it won’t change our bottom line at Hope, this new agreement — the first completed by a residential services provider in Illinois — will mean an additional $3.1 million in Medicaid reimbursement for the state.
In order to implement this new agreement, we’ll be purchasing three new group homes in Springfield. In addition — once access issues are resolved — we’ll be investing $6 million in campus residential renovation over the next five years.
There are wonderful things happening at The Hope Institute for Children and Families. None of these things would have been possible without your support. What better time to renew that support than in the last days of 2009? It’s easy, and can be done right from our web site. Simply click the “Donate Now” button you’ll find at the top of the page.
Thank you from all the Children of Hope!
Scarce Resources Require Joint Action
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on December 17, 2009
Last year’s fiscal meltdown in state government was alarming, and prospects for this coming spring look worse, not better. If Illinois is to escape from its current economic mess, we need concerted action, with many organizations working together to find more effective and efficient ways to provide service, improve state revenues, and get the important work of serving our most vulnerable populations accomplished.
To that end, we were pleased to cooperate with Rep. Rich Brauer and Sen. Deanna DeMuzio to draft successful legislation creating a commission to assure that Illinois receives all the Medicaid reimbursement to which it is entitled. We are also working with the Illinois Department of Human Services to change our residential programs to allow Illinois to recoup additional federal funds.
Neither of these efforts add anything to our bottom line at Hope, but they are the right and responsible thing to do. Look for more information on these two topics in the weeks to come.
The Season of Giving
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on December 15, 2009
It is the season of giving, and I want to offer my thanks to all those who have helped make this season bright for the Children of Hope. This includes organizations like the Rochester Lion’s Club, which each year visits campus to hold a Holiday Party for our children, those who sponsor a child from the Hope Angel Tree, and our many generous donors who support efforts to bring safety, joy and growth to all our children.
During this time, we also try to teach our children the importance of giving to others. As I was leaving campus last night, a group of students was going into the gym to wrap presents for others. Our senior students have visited nursing homes and served at St. John’s Breadline to help spread holiday cheer. It is nice to know that those who have received so much also understand how to give to others.
Governor Signs Noll Legislation
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on August 26, 2009
We were pleased to learn that Governor Quinn has signed HB 3641, which creates a Children’s Healthcare Partnership Demonstration Project at Noll Medical Pavilion. This landmark legislation will greatly assist our efforts to create a medical home which provides comprehensive and coordinated care to children with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
Our thanks to the sponsors of this legislation: Representatives Rich Brauer and Cynthia Soto and Senators Larry Bomke, Deanna Demuzio, Christine Radogno, Pamela Althoff and David Koehler.
Grateful Parents Breathe Sighs of Relief
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on August 10, 2009
Last Friday’s news that 41 of our children with the most severe disabilities will NOT be sent home on October 1st caused many parents to breathe a sigh of relief. One parent posted the following to Facebook: “I cried every day for fear of what I would do not knowing how to manage if my daughter couldn’t stay at Hope. Now I cry for joy. I’m so proud to stand amongst all the amazing people who called, wrote and fought for 41 beautiful kids. There are many worthy causes. There is no more worthy cause than this.”
As this parent noted, the advocacy in support of these 41 youth was truly a team effort. Parents, board members, trustees, friends of Hope and our professional associations all played a role in making the case for a responsible state budget. While the final outcome was a compromise that probably did not please everyone (anyone?), that’s what compromise is about. The question is, how can we work with our elected and appointed state officials to make certain this never happens again?
Butch Elzea
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on August 7, 2009
I have always maintained that the members of The Hope Institute Board of Directors are top-rate: a group of talented and accomplished individuals. We are fortunate that they have chosen to dedicate their time and efforts toward the cause of The Hope Institute.
Yet another evidence of this fact came earlier this week when Hope board member Butch Elzea received the 2009 National Humanitarian Award from the National Recreation and Park Association for his leadership in planning and raising funds for Springfield’s new Southwind Park. The focus of this innovative park is on making recreation accessible to persons with all levels of ability or disability.
Butch is a fitting recipient of this national recognition, and we are proud to have him as a member of The Hope Institute Board of Directors!
The World’s Fair
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on August 5, 2009
Over the course of the summer, youth at The Hope Institute for Children and Families have been learning about other countries. They have learned how to locate countries on a map, been exposed to information about the people and cultures of other lands, and even learned about local foods. The lessons were structured so that our students not only learned, but had fun as well.
These activities culminated today when our youth held their own World’s Fair. This event gave them the opportunity to celebrate what they have learned and revisit some of the most enjoyable lessons. Our World’s Fair was a great way to cap a summer of safety, joy and growth.
Providing a broader experience for the Children of Hope and exposing them to new ideas is one of the most important things we do at The Hope Institute. Thanks to your support, we are making a real impact. How do I know? Just look at the smiles on the faces of our children!
Unloading Textbooks
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on August 4, 2009
The textbooks have arrived for the new Hope Institute Learning Academy (HILA) in Chicago. You can learn more about this innovative new school by clicking the link at the top of this page.
These textbooks are really special, because HILA has been designated a Pearson Innovation School by Pearson, the world’s leading educational publisher. Not only will our students have access to all the latest Pearson texts and other educational materials, but they (and our faculty) will also enjoy the full support of the Pearson organization.
Today, we will be joined by Mark Nieker, President of the Pearson Foundation, Pat McHugh, VP of Pearson, and a team of Pearson voluntters. They will meet with staff, and will help us unload, catalog, and place texts in each of our new classrooms.
Pearson has been a great partner! We look forward to this relationship growing in the years to come.
Pragmatism coupled with optimism
By Joseph E. Nyre, Ph. D. on July 31, 2009
These are certainly extraordinary times in our country and, to some degree, uncharted Illinois budget waters. History will reveal how our leaders navigated these waters.
Many letters have been written attempting to assign blame to certain legislators. I write to underscore some successes of our local legislators during this session, successes that will pay significant dividends to Illinois and its most vulnerable citizens. This session, Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg, and Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, passed groundbreaking legislation via House Bill 3641 to ensure children with disabilities have access to affordable medical, dental, rehabilitative, and psychiatric services. This bill, when signed by the governor, will allow the state to access available federal dollars to ensure children with disabilities receive necessary preventative and interventional care.
These two legislators also passed House Bill 3642, a bill aimed at improving efficiency and revenue by recouping federal Medicaid dollars for vital services. I recognize that these bills out of context may not appear robust, but the impact when signed by the governor will mean a great deal of additional revenue for vital services. I believe this is why these bills received overwhelming bipartisan support.
As Brauer wrote previously, income taxes and government reforms are important issues. However, I appreciate the additional efforts of our legislators as they implement solutions to government and help steer the course during this session. Pragmatism coupled with optimism can be a balance and powerful compass.
