Compassion Care for Disabled Children Inc
Open the World for a Child
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Disabled Children’s Fund (DCF) was created by doctors and former military for the sole purpose to help ease the suffering of disabled children, both here and overseas. In many parts of the world, having a disabled child is something to be ashamed of, and the children are often confined to their home and hidden from the rest of the community. These children are challenged by a range of physical and developmental disabilities, for which there is little or no medical help locally available. In some cases, they urgently need properly made and fitted wheelchairs, a scarce item in many developing countries. As a result, they don’t receive the services they so desperately need. This is the area of need we hope to address where we can.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Project Vijay
In India many special needs kids don’t get the services they need for their physical or mental challenges. Our goal through Project Vijay is to improve the quality of life for a child, create opportunities for them to flourish and provide respite times for family members/caregivers.
Kids of Military Families
Disabled Children's Fund is reaching out to military families who have children with special needs. We do this by providing the “Exceptional Family Member Program” with extra funding at various military posts to help improve quality of life for these precious children.
Where we work
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Our Sustainable Development Goals
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goal is to improve the quality of life for these disabled children, create opportunities for them to flourish, and provide respite times and training for caregivers. Our primary focus is overseas, where the need is greatest. Here in the USA, we aim to help our military families who have children with special needs. We do this by providing the “Exceptional Family Member Program” (EFMP) with extra funding at various military posts.
In doing this work, we strive to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ who said “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.” (Mathew 25:40).
Specific near-term goals are:
Overseas – Establish new and sustain on-going programs in India, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
In the US: Provide support for EFMP programs at military installations in at least 4 states, serving all branches of the Armed Forces.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We provide targeted grant funds to indigenous Christian ministries that we have vetted that already serve the population to whom we intend to provide services. Grants vary in amount depending on the scope of the need and our specific program parameters established by our Board of Directors. We monitor progress with periodic status reports from the associated ministry and by on-site visits by members of the DCF Board of Directors, or by qualified representatives approved by the Board.
To raise funds for these programs we participate in the Federal Government’s Combined Federal Campaign, in State and Local workplace giving campaigns in several states and localities. We also raise funds through various churches, Amazon Smile, GoFundMe, individual repeat donors, and other direct fundraising vehicles, as well as support from private and corporate foundations. In addition, we do challenge fund-raising via Facebook friends-of-the-charity to match board member contributions.
We also partner with other Christian charities to gather and refurbish wheelchairs, walkers and crutches and ship the equipment to India, Africa, and wherever else the equipment is most needed overseas for disabled children.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are a relatively small charity with two part-time employees and seven volunteer board members so we team with other Christian charities and organizations and find established in-country partners with whom we can team to further our mission. We have been successful in finding established indigenous Christian partners in India, Africa, and Ukraine. We have established partnerships thus far with EFMP programs at military installations in Texas and Georgia.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since inception, DCF healthcare professionals have provided free physical and occupational therapy and rehabilitation services that have made an impact on the lives of foreign nationals that are without funds or health insurance, and where such services and supplies are largely non-existent or at best very scarce. DCF has provided free medical services to victims of cerebral palsy, polio, landmines, conflict, and other challenges. The types of services provided include:
• Physical and occupational therapy; rehab programs and services; Fitting individuals for wheelchairs and issuing wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and rehab equipment.
• Services are provided by either:
-Volunteer health care professionals working as individuals or on teams, while training indigenous nationals to become self-reliant; or by
-Medical professionals hired through grant funds to provide free continuing services to the targeted population.
For example, we have used the infrastructure of a local ministry in Southern India to hire a certified nurse for continuing home visits to families with disabled children in the city and surrounding rural areas. The project has put in place development plans for the children, provided for basic health needs and provided the families of these children with resources and education to help them care for their disabled child. For many of these families, this is the first time anyone outside their extended family has shown compassion and an interest in helping their special needs child. Bottom Line: we started a program in this region to help these low-income disabled children and their families with a goal of helping 15 children. This program has now grown to help 45 children and their family-member/caregivers. Plans are to expand that program as funds become available.
Some examples of the free program services that we have provided to poor disabled children overseas:
1. Custom-Fitted pediatric specialty wheelchairs
2.Walkers and crutches
3.Rehabilitation equipment
4.Rehabilitation therapy
5.Caregiver training and respite support
6.Medical care and improved diet
7.Adaptive learning and development-oriented play strategies and toys
8.Help for hearing impaired children
9.Help for children in Ethiopia with Mossy Foot disease
Here in the USA, we support military families with disabled children by providing supplementary funding to the Exceptional Family Member Program to improve quality of life.
So far, we have existing programs in India and Africa. We plan to expand into Latin America, and the Ukraine within two years or less. In the USA, we support EFMP programs in Texas and Georgia, and plan to expand to Maryland and North Carolina.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Compassion Care for Disabled Children Inc
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Mary Campbell
Millie Jernigan
Jack Walsh
Mary Campbell
Anna Szmajda
Rod Bragg
Elaine Feltz
Millie Jernigan
Molly Holloway
Jerry Nelson
Eric Walsh
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data