Annual egg hunt at Ida Sue School another success
The annual Easter egg hunt at Ida Sue School successfully engaged over 40 infants and toddlers.
An early visit by the Easter Bunny brought smiles to the faces of more than 40 infants and toddlers at the third annual egg hunt, sponsored by Oak Chapel United Methodist Church and hosted by the Wayne County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ early intervention program April 11 at Ida Sue School. Volunteers from Oak Chapel filled more than 600 plastic eggs with candy and other goodies and distributed them around the playgroup area.
In addition to the Easter Bunny and the egg hunters, there were a dozen therapy dogs and their owners to bring comfort and companionship to the young egg hunters.
“We greatly appreciate Oak Chapel United Methodist Church for putting on this event each year for us,” said Jennifer Chong, director of educational services at the school. “In early intervention, we serve children from birth to age 3 with disabilities or suspected disabilities, so this is a great opportunity for our children to do an egg hunt in a controlled and familiar environment.”
Early Intervention provides support and resources for family members and caregivers to enhance a child’s development. The Wayne County Board of Developmental Disabilities provides early intervention services to eligible children in partnership with the Wayne County Help Me Grow program and all 10 of the local school districts. The program is based on the philosophy that young children learn best from those who are familiar to them in settings that are also familiar. Early intervention professionals support families and help them identify their child’s strengths and needs.
Beth Patton, co-chair of Oak Chapel’s Outreach Committee, said the mission of the committee and the purpose of the event is to share in fellowship with the community.
“We thought that the early intervention program would be a great and willing partner,” said Patton. “Participation has grown immensely over the past three years, and our volunteers from the church have really supported the project. We look forward to continuing this event into the future.”